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Tullow Oil

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FY2018 Annual Report · Tullow Oil
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TULLOW OIL  

2018 ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS

AFRICA’S 
LEADING 
INDEPENDENT  
OIL COMPANY

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TULLOW IS A  
SELF-FUNDING 
OIL COMPANY, 
BALANCED ACROSS 
EXPLORATION, 
DEVELOPMENT 
AND PRODUCTION

Our focus is on finding and monetising  
oil in Africa and South America. 

Our key activities include targeted 
Exploration and Appraisal, selective 
development projects and growing 
our high-margin production. We have 
a prudent financial strategy with 
diverse sources of funding.

Our portfolio of 87 licences spans 
17 countries and is organised 
into three businesses. We are 
headquartered in London and our 
shares are listed on the London, 
Irish and Ghana Stock Exchanges.

107

Our front cover: Ayishat Yahaya is a Ghanaian Trainee 
Wellsite Drilling Engineer working on the Stena Forth. 
In Q4 2018 the drillship was drilling development wells 
on the TEN and Jubilee fields. Ayishat was also part of 
the agile working team that drilled the Cormorant well 
offshore Namibia in September 2018.

31

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The disclosure in this report is complemented 
by our online ESG disclosure, which can be 
found at tullowoil.com/sustainability

STRATEGIC REPORT
Our Group highlights 

Our strategic roadmap 

Our operations 

Chair’s statement 

Chief Executive Officer’s statement 

Our business model 

Market outlook 

Our strategy 

Key performance indicators 

Operations review 

Chief Financial Officer’s statement 

Finance review 

Sustainability  

Progressive organisation  

Governance & risk management  

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Board of Directors 

Directors’ report 

Stakeholder engagement  

Audit Committee report 

Nominations Committee report  

EHS Committee report 

Remuneration report 

Other statutory information 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Statement of Directors’ responsibilities 

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4

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18

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24

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51

60

62

68

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77

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102

108

Independent auditor’s report  
for the Group and Company Financial Statements  109

Group Financial Statements 

Company Financial Statements 

Supplementary information

Five-year financial summary 

Shareholder information 

Licence interests 

Commercial reserves and resources 

Transparency disclosure 

Sustainability data 

Tullow Oil plc subsidiaries 

Glossary 

117

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www.tullowoil.com

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OUR GROUP HIGHLIGHTS

SETTING THE FOUNDATIONS FOR GROWTH 

Tullow’s hard work over the last three years to strengthen all aspects of its business 
performance and management has laid a firm foundation for the Company’s growth.  
Our diverse asset base, managed by our West Africa, East Africa and New Ventures 
teams, is generating value today and will support the delivery of our 2030 Vision in 
the coming decade.

REVENUE

$1.9BN

1

  2017: $1.7BN

CAPITAL INVESTMENT

$423M

2,3

  2017: $225M

>>

Key performance indicators 

21

LICENCES

87

Across 17 countries

UNDERLYING CASH OPERATING COSTS

FREE CASH FLOW

$10.0/BOE

3

  2017: $11.1/BOE 

>>

$411M

3

  2017: $543M

RESERVES ADDED

12.5MMBOE

Non-operated Central West Africa business 
added 2P reserves, representing 160 per cent 
reserves replacement

>>

Key performance indicators 

20

Key performance indicators 

22

ADJUSTED EBITDAX

$1.6BN

3

  2017: $1.3BN

NET DEBT

$3.1BN

3

  2017: $3.5BN

TOTAL WORKFORCE

990

Our talented colleagues and contractors 
work together across our corporate centre 
and three businesses

PROFIT/(LOSS) AFTER TAX

$85M

  2017: ($175M)

GEARING4

1.9 TIMES

3

  2017: 2.6 TIMES

LOST TIME INJURY FREQUENCY

0.28

Achieving base target of 0.15–0.30

1.  Total revenue does not include other income from Tullow’s Corporate Business Interruption insurance of $188 million.

2.  Capital investment excludes Uganda capex covered by farm-down.

3. Non-IFRS measures are reconciled on pages 37 to 39.

4. Gearing ratio calculated as net debt/adjusted EBITDAX.

2

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STRATEGIC REPORT“ Tullow has increased the focus on 
personal and career development, 
which not only benefits us as 
professionals but also creates 
real value in our business.”

Conor Ryan, Lead Geoscientist

STRATEGIC REPORT
OUR STRATEGIC ROADMAP

WE AIM TO CREATE  
LONG-TERM VALUE FOR  
ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS
OUR 2030 VISION
To be sustainable, progressive and the leading oil company in Africa

AFRICA
We have a strong track 
record of successfully 
supporting African 
countries develop their 
oil resources. 

OIL
We have the experience 
and core skills to find, 
develop and monetise 
high-value oil, to help meet 
future global demand.

SUSTAINABLE
We will create shared 
prosperity and mitigate 
our environmental 
impact as we deliver 
economic returns.

PROGRESSIVE
We will take a progressive 
and innovative approach to 
how we plan and deliver 
our business activities.

OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
1 FINANCING  
2
3

DELIVERING  
OUR BUSINESS

OUR BUSINESS

GROWING OUR 
BUSINESS

 - Generating free cash 
flow from low-cost oil 
production

 - Progressing major 

development projects 
to grow our 
production profile 

 - Maintaining good 

financial discipline 
 - Providing liquidity and 
headroom to manage 
oil price volatility

 - Managing financial risk 

through insurance 
and hedging 

 - Proactively managing 
the portfolio at all life 
cycle stages

 - Adding resources, 

replacing reserves and 
pursuing exploration 
and development 
opportunities around 
our asset base

 - Targeting three to five 

high-impact exploration 
wells a year, to deliver 
commercial and material 
light oil discoveries

4

LEADERSHIP 
EFFECTIVENESS

 - Maintaining a strong and 
cohesive leadership to 
progress our long-term 
2030 Vision, deliver value 
for all our stakeholders 
and manage unforeseen 
and critical business 
activity 

MANAGING OUR RISKS
OUR PRINCIPAL RISKS:

Financial 

Strategy 

Stakeholder 

>> See page 54

Organisation 

>> See page 55

Conduct 

EHS and security 

>> See page 55

Cyber security 

>> See page 56

>> See page 57

>> See page 57

>> See page 56

OUR STAKEHOLDERS
Our focus is to create sustainable long-term value for our stakeholders

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OUR INVESTORS: 
DELIVERING 
DIVIDENDS AND 
CAPITAL GROWTH 

OUR HOST 
COUNTRIES: 
CREATING SHARED 
PROSPERITY

OUR PEOPLE: 
PROVIDING A 
GREAT PLACE 
TO WORK AND 
DEVELOP CAREERS

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4

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

 
 
 
OUR OPERATIONS

OUR THREE BUSINESSES 

OUR OPERATIONS

>> See page 24

KEY COUNTRIES OF OPERATION

WEST AFRICA
The West Africa team focuses on Tullow’s operated  
and non-operated producing assets in West Africa.  
Our European assets are also managed by this team. 

 - Côte d’Ivoire

 - Ghana

 - Equatorial Guinea

 - United Kingdom*

 - Gabon

* UK gas production ceased in 2018 with assets now in decommissioning.

EAST AFRICA
The East Africa team is focused on progressing the  
development of our discoveries in Uganda and Kenya.

>> See page 26

 - Kenya

 - Uganda

NEW VENTURES 
The New Ventures team is responsible for Tullow’s frontier 
exploration activity across Africa and South America. 

>> See page 28

17

Tullow’s key operations in Africa are complemented 
by frontier exploration acreage in South America. 
Our operations are split into three businesses, 
outlined to the left.

LICENCES

87

Tullow’s portfolio of licences is balanced between 
exploration, development and production activities.

ACREAGE (SQ KM)

267,649

Our acreage onshore and offshore Africa, and 
South America, includes highly prospective 
acreage in Guyana, a key focus in 2019.

 - The Comoros

 - Mauritania

 - Côte d’Ivoire 

 - Guyana

 - Jamaica

 - Namibia

 - Pakistan

 - Peru

* Exiting Block 15 exploration licence in March 2019.

GHANA

 - Suriname

 - Uruguay*

 - Zambia

GROUP NET OIL & GAS PRODUCTION

90,000 BOEPD

Tullow’s West Africa producing assets performed 
well in 2018, delivering in line with expectations.

KENYA

GUYANA

www.tullowoil.com

5

STRATEGIC REPORTSeismic interpretation completed in 2018 to identify prospects for exploration drilling in 2019.Successful start to infill drilling programme across TEN and Jubilee with gross production from both fields ramping up to around 180,000 bopd in 2019.Progress on Front End Engineering Design for Project Oil Kenya, targeted for FID in 2019. 
 
 
 
 
CHAIR’S STATEMENT

DELIVERING  
VALUE FOR ALL 
STAKEHOLDERS 

A CLEAR CASE 
FOR INVESTMENT
 - Free cash flow generation from 

producing assets, which through 
investment replaces, builds and 
develops reserves and resources.

 - Free cash flow used to lower 
debt, invest in assets and pay 
no less than $100 million 
in dividends each year.

 - A multi-year exploration 

programme in emerging basins 
in both Africa and South America, 
as well as near-field exploration 
alongside existing assets 
in Africa.

 - Skilled and experienced people 
to help meet continued global 
demand for light oil.

 - Established relationships helping 
to develop opportunities in Africa.

 - An attractive partner for African 

governments and industry 
peers, due to our track record 
as an experienced low-cost 
upstream operator, with proven 
geological expertise.

 - Aligned with our host countries’ 
social and economic goals and 
growth ambitions.

 - Committed to creating shared 

prosperity for our host countries 
and shareholders.

 - Operational management that 

meets the highest safety, security 
and environmental standards.

“ Tullow has long recognised that to be a successful 
company, particularly in Africa, we need to be 
aligned to each of our host countries’ social and 
economic growth ambitions.” 

Dorothy Thompson, Chair

6

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STRATEGIC REPORTI am excited to be taking on the role of Tullow 
Board Chair at this time of transition both for 
Tullow and the sector. As the world makes the 
transition to a lower carbon future, the oil and 
gas industry faces unprecedented challenges and 
opportunities given the critical role that oil plays 
today in our energy supply. My role as Chair is 
to lead the Board to help navigate the Company 
through these transitions. In June the Board 
approved Tullow’s new strategy which addresses 
some of these challenges and targets attractive 
opportunities whilst putting sustainability and 
progressive operations at the heart of how we 
work. There is strong support for Paul McDade’s 
clear vision and growth agenda for the Company, 
including an unwavering commitment to creating 
sustainable value for our investors, our host 
governments and communities and opportunities 
for our talented people.

In July, I took over from Chair and Founder Aidan 
Heavey, who has been the heart and inspiration 
of Tullow’s story since the very beginning. Aidan 
provided me with great support and advice during 
the transition of Chair responsibilities and I wish 
him the very best for the future. 

While I am new to the oil industry, through my 
background in the power sector, including 12 years 
as Chief Executive of one of the UK’s largest power 
companies, I understand the imperative of providing 
low-cost, reliable energy. In my first six months as 
Chair, I have developed my understanding of Tullow’s 
role in contributing to that need, as well as working 
with the Board to hone Tullow’s investment case 
and growth strategy. 

Values and culture
I was drawn to Tullow as a business because of 
the Company’s strong culture. Tullow has long 
recognised that to be a successful company, 
particularly in Africa, we need to be aligned to 
each of our host countries’ social and economic 
growth ambitions. 

We recognise the importance of our people in 
the Company’s success. Our desire to create a 
stimulating, forward-thinking environment where 
our people can grow their careers and develop new 
skills and expertise shows the high regard in which 
employees are held, which in turn feeds their 
motivation to drive the business’ future success. 

Tullow’s zero tolerance of bribery and corruption 
is an area where the Company has built a firm and 
unwavering reputation locally and internationally. 
During the year, the Board approved an updated 
Code of Ethical Conduct which, alongside our 
Values, provides clear guidance on the expectations 
and behaviour that are at the heart of our 
Company’s culture. 

Responsible operations
The Company’s emphasis on high standards for 
health, safety and environmental performance 
has been evident in my visits to each of Tullow’s 
key locations. Upholding these high standards is 
not only critical to our operational success, but to 
our reputation with investors and host countries 
and most importantly to ensuring our staff and 
contractors go home safely to their families at 
the end of each day. During an informative and 
successful Board visit to Ghana in October, I visited 
the Jubilee FPSO offshore and experienced first 
hand how Tullow meets the requirements of its 
policies and standards on safety, environment 
and social performance. 

Environmental stewardship
I believe that Tullow has an important part to play 
as an oil company even as the world moves to a 
low-carbon future. There is no question that the 
world needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 
However, the decades of investment that will be 
required to replace the installed base of assets 
consuming fossil fuels, against a backdrop of 
growing energy demand, means there will be a 
continuing role for oil for some time to come.

Climate change legislation will become an 
increasingly important factor in determining the 
price of all fossil fuels and some of the industry’s 
resources may not achieve the commercial 
thresholds required to be developed. We will 
ensure our cost of supply is low to accommodate 
climate taxes and we will work to minimise our 
own greenhouse gas emissions. The priority for 
both Tullow and our host governments into the 
next decade is to use the window of opportunity 
presented by the discovery of oil to convert natural 
resource wealth into shareholder value and 
sustainable and inclusive economic growth 
for Africa.

Shared prosperity
Shared prosperity is not a marketing device for Tullow 
but something deeply embedded in our culture 
and that is put into operation across the business. 
We are known for our strong commitment to local 
participation in our supply chains, for supporting 
education and skills development in the countries 
in which we work and for making sure that the 
infrastructure we need for our operations can 
be shared by the communities where we work. 
Nevertheless, this is an area where we intend 
to be more ambitious going forward.

www.tullowoil.com

7

STRATEGIC REPORT 
The long-term Company strategy, which the 
Board approved in June, includes our 2030 Vision 
and comprises four core focus areas: Oil, Africa, 
Sustainable and Progressive. We have set new, 
ambitious targets for 2019 for all aspects of our 
business, but to accelerate momentum towards 
our vision, we have also set targets for considerable 
step changes in creating a progressive and 
sustainable business. 

Paul explains our strategy in more detail in his 
statement. The Board also reaffirmed Tullow’s 
commitment to being a balanced exploration, 
development and production company, driving 
growth through a combination of exploration 
and M&A. 

My first few months as Tullow’s Chair have confirmed 
the real strengths of the business and I look forward 
to leading the Board in implementing our strategy 
and vision into 2019.

Finally, and most importantly, I would like to thank 
all of Tullow’s people, who work tirelessly and give 
their very best to help make Tullow a success.

Dorothy Thompson
Chair

12 February 2019

STRATEGIC REPORT
CHAIR’S STATEMENT CONTINUED

Equality and transparency
Inclusion and diversity play a critical part in giving 
us access to the talent we need to succeed. We are 
convinced that building a pipeline of African talent 
will secure the necessary representation of Africans 
at senior leadership levels that is vital to Tullow’s 
future success. On my appointment as Chair of 
the Nominations Committee, I began to work with 
the Directors to evaluate the skills and experience 
the Board needs to deliver our long-term strategy. 
We have set out more details of our approach to 
this area in the Nominations Committee Report. 
This will help us improve diversity further throughout 
the organisation in a sustainable and meaningful 
manner and meet our targets for at least 20 per cent 
African representation and 30 per cent female 
representation on the Board by 2020.

Tullow’s investment case 
Tullow has made good progress through the recent 
challenging years and we are now looking forward 
and setting the framework for our future success. 

Our focus is on using our skills and experience to 
meet ongoing demand for light oil and on drawing 
on our history and established relationships to 
develop further opportunities in Africa.

We generate significant free cash flow from our 
production. Our strategy is to sustainably grow this 
production through adding and replacing our reserves 
in existing assets, which have the potential to increase 
production by 60 per cent to 150,000 bopd, through 
infill drilling and new developments.

We have a multi-year exploration programme 
in attractive acreage in emerging basins in both 
Africa and South America as well as existing 
assets in Africa. 

Our track record as a skilled and experienced 
low-cost upstream operator, as well as our deep 
and proven geological expertise, makes us an 
attractive partner for African governments and 
industry peers.

We run our business in a financially disciplined 
way, managing our portfolio and risk in a way 
that protects value, all backed by operational 
management that meets the highest safety, 
security and environmental standards.

8

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

“ Making sure that people go home safe 
and well both physically and mentally 
every day is a business priority and 
something we always strive for.”

Susan Musiime, EH S Adviser

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S STATEMENT

A NEW CHAPTER IN 
TULLOW’S HISTORY

2018 HIGHLIGHTS
 - Strong revenues of $1.9 billion 

and free cash flow of $411 million 
from a solid production base of 
90,000 boepd.

 - Good progress in East Africa 

with Final Investment Decisions 
on our Kenya and Uganda 
projects targeted in 2019.

 - New exploration licences in 

Côte d’Ivoire and the Comoros; 
an exciting exploration 
programme in Guyana to be 
drilled mid-2019.

 - Balance sheet transformed, with 
net debt reduced to $3.1 billion 
and 1.9x gearing, providing the 
financial strength and stability 
to balance further investment 
in our assets. 

 - Final 2018 dividend of $67 million; 

sustainable dividend policy 
announced to pay no less than 
$100 million per annum from 2019. 

 - New Vision focusing our business 

on the key pillars of Africa, 
Oil, Sustainable and Progressive 
marks us out as a distinctive E&P 
business and one that can and 
will deliver value to our host 
countries, our staff and our 
investors over the years to come.

“ The substantial efforts we have made to reset 
the Company, not just in 2018 but over the 
last three years, have now firmly established 
Tullow as a balanced, self-funding exploration, 
development and production company.”

Paul McDade, Chief Executive Officer

10

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STRATEGIC REPORTIn 2018 we continued to build on the progress we 
made in 2017, further strengthening our balance 
sheet, maintaining cost and capital discipline, 
delivering our operational targets and continuing 
to build an exciting exploration portfolio. The 
substantial efforts we have made to reset the 
Company, not just in 2018 but over the last three 
years, has now firmly established Tullow as a 
self-funding oil company, balanced across 
exploration, development and production. 

2018 was also a year where we defined our vision for 
the Company into the next decade, to deliver our 
ambitions for growth. For Tullow to be successful 
we must balance the broader interests of our 
three stakeholder groups: our investors, our host 
countries and their communities, and our people. 

While the market in the majority of 2018 saw a 
stronger oil price, the year closed with a weakening 
oil price and greater volatility. This uncertainty 
highlights the critical need for our Company to 
remain focused on cost and capital discipline. 
This will allow us to remain competitive and to 
continue to thrive despite continued volatility.

After last year’s changes in executive leadership, 
in 2018 we have seen changes at Board level with 
Aidan’s retirement and the arrival of Dorothy 
Thompson as our new Chair. Dorothy brings a 
wealth of experience and expertise to Tullow and 
she is already making a real impact both at the 
Board and across the Company. I am greatly 
enjoying working with Dorothy as we build on Aidan’s 
legacy and lead Tullow to even greater success. 

A year of delivery
The full-year results show continued strong free 
cash flow of $411 million, demonstrating our 
efficient and effective operational delivery, and 
cost discipline, principles which are now firmly 
embedded and generating a strong financial 
performance. We have met the expectations that 
we set, and I hope that meeting expectations will 
be a defining characteristic of my tenure as CEO. 

In Ghana, following the resolution of the border 
dispute in late 2017, Tullow lost a case in mid-2018 
against Seadrill, where the High Court disagreed 
with our claim of force majeure on a rig contract, 
following the drilling restrictions related to the 
border dispute. We paid Seadrill over $208 million 
in costs and damages which materially affected our 
cash flow. 

We made significant operational progress with our 
assets in Ghana in 2018, with the completion of the 
Jubilee turret repairs and our return to drilling 
on both Jubilee and TEN, and exited the year at 
approximately 145,000 bopd (gross), not including 
production-equivalent insurance payments. 
The Jubilee Turret Remediation Project (TRP) 
concluded with the rotation of the FPSO to its 
permanent position in December 2018. This work 

IAN SPRINGETT 
Ian, former CFO and Board Director 
at Tullow, passed away in January 2019. 
Ian joined us in 2009 from BP, where 
he had worked for 23 years, and gave 
Tullow eight years of much valued 
service. Ian was a great friend and 
colleague to many at Tullow and he 
will be hugely missed. 

>>

Our business model 14

Our strategy 

18

avoided a costly multi-year shut-down at the field 
and the wider implications that this would have 
had on Ghana and the Jubilee Partners. The highly 
technically complex work that these teams have 
achieved has been outstanding and is an industry 
first. Elsewhere in West Africa we are returning 
our non-operated production assets to growth, 
demonstrated by the 160 per cent 2P reserves 
replacement across this portfolio.

Our projects in East Africa, which will form a new 
production hub of ~50,000 bopd, continue to progress 
towards Final Investment Decision (FID). In Kenya 
the Early Oil Pilot Scheme is trucking oil to 
Mombasa and this pilot is providing invaluable 
technical data. More importantly, the scheme is 
helping all stakeholders better understand the 
journey to FID and what it will take to become a 
major oil exporter in 2022. In Uganda, disappointingly, 
despite the Joint Venture Partners’ best efforts, 
we did not complete our farm-down of our equity 
by the end of 2018; however, we continue to work 
towards this goal in the first half of 2019, and are 
also targeting FID around the middle of the year. 

The focus of our exploration activity in recent years 
has been to high-grade our exploration portfolio, 
entering countries and licences where we see 
potential in the geology and exiting countries that 
are not aligned to our strategy. These efforts have 
resulted in an exciting portfolio of exploration assets 
which have the potential to deliver material growth 
to the Company. We expect to drill an average of 
three to five frontier wells in the coming years 
whilst remaining within a budget of $150 million.

My focus since becoming CEO has been to lay solid 
foundations for a successful future. We have met 
production targets; we have significantly reduced 
our debt; and we have delivered operationally, with 
drilling in Ghana, completion of the Turret project, 
progressing our East African projects towards FIDs 
and resetting our exploration portfolio. 

With the balance sheet strengthened and with 
financial discipline embedded in the business, 
it is now time for us to focus on growth.

www.tullowoil.com

11

STRATEGIC REPORTSTRATEGIC REPORT
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S STATEMENT CONTINUED

and equality. Some important examples of how we 
will do this are by publishing Production Sharing 
Agreements where governments allow us to do 
so; by promoting equality of opportunity for all 
our colleagues; and by ensuring that the rights 
of communities where we operate, particularly 
marginalised communities, are protected. 

The Progressive pillar of our 2030 Vision reflects 
our recognition that, in a more challenging external 
environment, we need to create value by doing 
things differently. One way in which we are doing 
this is to make sure our organisation is agile, 
allowing diverse groups of people to work together 
dynamically to solve challenges and create new 
opportunities. We will embrace new and appropriate 
technology to improve our delivery in areas ranging 
from administrative tasks, to the management of 
our offshore facilities. 

The success of our vision will depend on the 
commitment of our colleagues and we are working 
hard to make sure we use the skills, experience and 
energy of all our people effectively and offer them 
the opportunities they need to develop their careers. 

Our growth agenda
While we can look back on a successful 2018, 
I firmly feel that we have now set a good course for 
future years with a firm focus on growth. Over the 
next five years, our priority will be to maximise 
production and profitability in Ghana and build 
upon our broader West African producing portfolio. 
We will grow our production profile by delivering 
50,000 bopd net production from our Uganda and 
Kenya assets. In addition, we will replace and 
increase resources in our portfolio for future 
production or monetisation by drilling three to five 
frontier wells in Africa and South America through 
a disciplined and carefully screened exploration 
programme. We will also add reserves and 
resources in our West and East African business 
through near-field and infrastructure-led drilling. 

All the elements of this strategy will be focused on 
delivering sustainable value to those most closely 
interested in our Company: our shareholders, our 
host countries and our people.

Paul McDade
Chief Executive Officer

12 February 2019

2030 Vision
2018 has been a time to reflect and refresh our 
priorities and vision for the Company to ensure 
we prosper in a world where priorities are evolving, 
and a major energy transition is under way. Oil 
and gas businesses today are under ever growing 
scrutiny, with expectations now that a company’s 
purpose must be much greater than just delivering 
economic returns for its shareholders. We need to 
show how we can deliver sustainable value to our 
host countries and communities and meet the 
growing expectations of our people relating to 
Tullow’s broader social purpose. We have developed 
our 2030 Vision, with its four pillars of Oil, Africa, 
Sustainable and Progressive, to help ensure that 
we successfully meet these challenges, whilst 
positively delivering and balancing the expectations 
of our investors, host countries and colleagues. 

There is a clear need for global action to reduce 
greenhouse gas emissions but there will continue 
to be strong demand for low-cost oil as we progress 
to lower carbon energy supplies. I believe oil will 
remain a core component of global energy needs 
to 2030 and beyond, and we have the experience 
and core skills to meet that need. Our focus will 
be on finding, selectively developing, producing 
and selling oil, and commercialising this resource 
efficiently to maximise benefits for our host countries.

Much of that work will be in Africa, which remains 
at the heart of our business. We have 30 years 
of experience and knowledge of working in Africa, 
have opened three new basins, have deep geological 
and geographical insights and technical and 
operational expertise, and have long-standing 
relationships with governments and communities 
across Africa and our vision is to build on these 
significant foundations. 

Although Africa is our focus, South America is 
clearly a very important part of Tullow’s portfolio. 
We have spent years building up acreage positions 
in countries which are now industry hotspots. The 
current focus on Guyana provides Tullow with some 
of the most exciting exploration high-value prospects 
in our portfolio. South America provides an important 
‘hedge’ to Africa, providing portfolio diversity and 
balance to our African exploration portfolio. 

Sustainability will be a guiding principle in everything 
we do. Our shared prosperity agenda will continue 
to support education and skills development in 
our host countries. We have continued to work 
to increase local business participation in the 
supply chain and find ways to use our existing 
infrastructure plans and projects to benefit the 
communities where we operate, ensuring we truly 
share prosperity. Our work on environmental 
stewardship will seek to reduce, mitigate and 
offset our environmental impact, especially the 
carbon emissions generated by our operations. 
In addition, we will continue to uphold transparency 

12

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

“ The Turret Project team has been 
outstanding, they are pioneers within 
our industry and we are incredibly 
proud of their achievement.”

Kweku Awotwi , Managing Director, Tullow Ghana

STRATEGIC REPORT
OUR BUSINESS MODEL

HOW WE RUN  
OUR BUSINESS

Tullow draws upon multiple resources and relationships to create value.  
Our business works across all stages of the oil life cycle from exploration to 
production. Our focus is on delivering value for all three stakeholder groups: 
our investors, our host countries and our people. 

OUR RESOURCES AND 
RELATIONSHIPS

OUR VALUE LIFE CYCLE
Our work across the life cycle delivers long-term sustainable growth

S

VEST O R
R IN

U
O

OUR INVESTORS

TOP 20 INVESTORS  
HOLDING SHARES  
IN CIRCULATION

64%

TOTAL DEBT CAPACITY PROVIDED 
BY PUBLIC DEBT INVESTORS AND 
A CONSORTIUM OF 19 BANKS 

$4.2BN

OUR HOST COUNTRIES

COUNTRIES OF  
OPERATION 

S

VEST O R
R IN

U
O

17

OUR H

O

S

T 

C

O

U

N

T

R

I

E

S

FIND
Through targeted exploration in 
Africa and South America we find oil, 
to build reserves and resources, to sell 
in the ground, or to develop for future 
production. We aim to build the best 
inventory of prospects for drilling, 
managing risk exposure and 
readiness to take advantage of 
New Venture opportunities.

DEVELOP
We are focused on appraisal and 
development with clear plans for 
monetisation. We invest in high-return, 
near-field wells, drilled adjacent to our 
producing assets. We are developing 
significant discoveries in Kenya and 
Uganda, which will add ~50,000 bopd 
to net production, targeting FID in 2019, 
and then moving promptly to First Oil.

Link to KPIs
 - Growing our business: New Ventures 

Link to KPIs
 - Growing our business: East Africa

OUR H

O

S

T 

C

O

U

N

T

R

I

E

S

CREATING SUSTAINABLE BENEFITS 

Exploration and Appraisal 2–10 yrs

Development 3–10 yrs

Production 20–50 yrs

Decommissioning

PRODUCING FIELDS

VALUE CREATION

28

BOEPD OF PRODUCTION*

90,000

* includes insurance barrels from lost production.

Appraisal proves  
commerciality of field

Exploration success

S

VEST O R
R IN

U
O

OUR PEOPLE

PEOPLE WORKING  
FOR TULLOW 

990

OUR H

O

S

T 

C

O

U

N

T

R

I

E

S

Seismic survey

First exploration well

INVESTMENT

First Oil

14

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STRATEGIC REPORTOUR VALUE LIFE CYCLE

Our work across the life cycle delivers long-term sustainable growth

OUR  
BUSINESS

CREATING VALUE  
FOR STAKEHOLDERS

T
R
O
P
E
R
C
G
E
T
A
R
T
S

I

PRODUCE
We have focused production plans with 
clear routes to revenue-generating 
objectives and are investing in in-field 
drilling programmes to increase and 
extend production plateau across our 
producing assets in West Africa.

Link to KPIs 
- Growing our business: West Africa

As a self-funded E&P business, we 
allocate capital across our three priorities: 
continuing to pay down debt, investing in 
our business and creating returns for 
shareholders, including through a 
sustainable dividend policy. Our portfolio 
management activities also generate 
further sources of capital to deliver these 
three objectives. 

Link to KPIs 
- Strategic financing 
- Organisational effectiveness 
- Leadership effectiveness

CREATING SUSTAINABLE BENEFITS 

Exploration and Appraisal 2–10 yrs

Development 3–10 yrs

Production 20–50 yrs

Decommissioning

  Government take 

  Oil company take 
  Government net cash flow

 Oil company cost 

 Oil company opex 

 Government investment

OUR INVESTORS

FREE CASH FLOW

$411M

S

VEST O R
R IN

U
O

OUR H

O

S

T 

C

O

U

N

T

R

I

E

S

DIVIDEND POLICY OF NO LESS THAN 

$100M PA

OUR H

O

S

T 

C

O

U

N

T

R

I

E

S

OUR H

O

S

T 

C

O

U

N

T

R

I

E

S

S

VEST O R
R IN

U
O

OUR HOST COUNTRIES

PAYMENTS TO  
GOVERNMENTS

$432M

SPEND WITH LOCAL SUPPLIERS

$283M

OUR PEOPLE

EMPLOYEES AWARDED  
SHARES

S

VEST O R
R IN

U
O

99%

RESPONSE RATE TO STAFF 
ENGAGEMENT SURVEY 

90%

www.tullowoil.com

15

STRATEGIC REPORT 
MARKET OUTLOOK

REVIEWING 
EVOLVING MARKETS 

OIL PRICE 
Global oil supply and demand are currently around 
100 million bopd. Oil supply responds most quickly to price 
through modulation of production, when necessary, by key 
OPEC and other major producer countries, and through the 
US oil shale industry where, in the absence of continuous 
investment, production from fractured reservoir wells 
declines sharply within months. Supply from conventional 
production also declines without infill investment but much 
more gradually. Oil demand growth is generally driven by 
GDP but is concentrated regionally in emerging economies 
and in the petrochemical and transport fuel sectors.

In 2018, Brent prices approached and briefly exceeded $70/bbl 
in January. After a brief retracement, prices increased steadily 
until May when Brent reached $80/bbl on President Trump’s 
decision to impose sanctions against Iran, as well as disruption 
to supply in Nigeria. By July, Brent was back at $70/bbl 
as oil demand fell and traders saw that Saudi Arabia and 
Russia were willing to increase output to cap price upside. 
Crude prices peaked in October at a two-year high of  
$86/bbl as the expected impact of sanctions on Iranian oil 
grew. The subsequent weakening of prices reflected OPEC’s 
decision to increase output in September to offset the 
anticipated fall in Iranian production, as well as a weaker 
OPEC and IEA consumption outlook, and the US decision 

to continue allowing eight countries to import Iranian oil for 
six months. The fourth quarter was an oil bear market, with 
crude dropping over 30 per cent to a year-end low, marginally 
above $50/bbl. The declines, initially a response to the 
US reliefs from sanctions on Iranian oil, were compounded 
as demand growth estimates were reduced on economic 
uncertainty, especially around the US–China trade outlook. 
Traders are expecting continued price volatility over 2019, 
given limited spare production capacity, weighed against 
an uncertain economic growth outlook and potential for 
political interventions. Beyond that, the implementation 
of IMO 2020 regulations is expected to drive higher demand 
for diesel and low-sulphur heavy oil.

Tullow mitigates the risk of oil price volatility through a 
prudent hedging programme. Hedging delivered $850 million 
of revenue during the recent downturn (2015–2017), and in 
2019, we have 60 per cent of our production protected at a 
floor price of ~$56/bbl, while 75 per cent remains exposed 
to higher oil prices (compared to around 60 per cent in 
2018), and 25 per cent of production is capped at around 
$80/bbl. This, together with low operating costs per barrel, 
flexible capital expenditure and strong liquidity, ensures our 
business remains robust during unpredictable markets and 
is competitive as decarbonisation accelerates.

TRANSITION TO THE  
LOW-CARBON ECONOMY
Governments and investors continue to be 
focused on providing affordable, low-carbon 
energy to a growing population, whilst 
limiting global warming to below 2 degrees. 
2018 saw a successful COP24 in Poland 
agree the elements of the ‘rulebook’ for 
putting the 2015 Paris Agreement into 
practice, including how governments will 
measure, report on and verify their 
emissions-cutting efforts. By 2020, countries 
must show they have met targets set a 
decade ago for cutting their emissions, and 
affirm new, much tougher targets. The 
investment community’s focus on climate 
continued to gain momentum, with experts 
citing 2018 as the year that climate 
disclosure entered the ‘mainstream’, with 
500+ companies expressing support for the 
Task Force on Climate-related Financial 
Disclosures’ recommendations. 

In the period to 2035, oil and gas is likely 
to remain close to 60 per cent of the energy 
mix, with natural gas as a key bridge fuel. 
Renewable energy supply compound average 
growth rates of 8–10 per cent per year are 
forecast for the foreseeable future with the 
main renewable energy technologies being 
cost competitive with fossil fuel equivalents  
in many parts of the world (and sometimes 
cheaper). Finally, oil demand is forecast 
to peak around 2035, although if policies 
tighten, some believe this peak will be brought 
forward. This makes resetting costs and prices 
through modernisation and digitalisation key 
factors in retaining competitiveness 
throughout this transition. 

Tullow recognises that evolving legislation 
aimed at reducing GHG emissions may, over 
time, have an impact on demand/prices. 
We are actively seeking to anticipate and 
respond to this change, for example by 
applying notional carbon pricing to test 

the viability of major capital projects for 
Full Field Developments.

The process for calculating the net present 
cost of GHG emissions over the lifetime of 
new projects is set out in our Integrated 
Management System Investment Appraisal 
Standard, making it an integral part of 
Tullow’s financial appraisal process for 
new developments.

We are committed to adopting a business 
strategy that is responsive to applicable legal 
and regulatory changes designed to address 
climate. Tullow’s IMS Non-Technical Risk 
Standard requires that for all new 
developments, greenhouse gas emissions 
are estimated over the lifetime of the project. 
We calculate the net present cost of these 
emissions using a shadow carbon price of 
$40/te of CO² equivalent emissions, in line 
with industry standards. 

16

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STRATEGIC REPORTAFRICAN ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL OUTLOOK
We set out below an overview of the economic and political outlook in our countries of operation.

Ghana 
The 2019 budget, presented in November, shows renewed 
government confidence after several difficult years following the 
balance of payments crisis in 2014–2015. The recent rebasing 
of the economy and stronger oil receipts in 2018 have created 
space for more expansive fiscal policy; government 
expenditure will rise in 2019 to support delivery of its 
ambitious social and economic development plans.

Higher aggregate oil prices, increasing liquids production and 
the launch of Ghana’s first competitive exploration licensing 
round are also sparking renewed confidence in the oil sector. 
Petroleum revenues are playing a key role in servicing Ghana’s 
external debt and in financing the country’s flagship free 
Senior High School programme.

However, investor confidence remains fragile and market 
appetite for emerging market risk is more volatile. With the 
imminent end of the IMF emergency support programme (in 
March 2019), capital markets will insist that the Government 
continues to show probity in managing its accounts and 
delivering its public investment commitments while 
maintaining the country’s attractiveness to foreign direct 
investors in dollar-generating sectors like oil and gas.

Kenya
The March 2018 ‘handshake’ between President Kenyatta 
and long-time opponent Raila Odinga drew a line under the 
disputed 2017 election. This allowed a shift in political focus 
to issues of governance and development. 2019 is likely to 
be dominated by the findings of Odinga’s ‘Building Bridges’ 
initiative. This is intended, among other things, to reduce the 
probability of a disputed or violent electoral transition in 2022, 
when Kenyatta will stand down. 

While political tensions have eased and growth is relatively 
robust, revenue generation will continue to lag ambitious 
spending plans into 2019. The Central Bank of Kenya has voiced 
concerns about the available headroom for public financing 
of Kenya’s twin deficit and public investment programme. 

This should translate into renewed government focus on 
the delivery of Project Oil Kenya, to secure future revenue 
streams without large-scale public financing. Rapid decision 
making will be key here, given the potential for the widely 
expected constitutional reform to require government 
attention and resources over the next year. 

Uganda
The Ugandan economy is expected to expand more strongly 
in 2019 after five years of sub-par growth. However, revenue 
generation to meet spending commitments remains challenging, 
especially in light of the Ugandan Government’s policy of avoiding 
borrowing from international capital markets. Long-term oil 
production from the Lake Albert fields could underpin 
government revenue and development plans for the decade 
ahead creating a strong incentive for facilitating a 2019 FID. 

The political landscape in 2019 may also ease somewhat after 
the youth protests in Kampala against perceived harassment 
of the opposition, the rising cost of living and security force 
misconduct. The Government has taken some important 
first steps to address these issues but perceived inequality 
of opportunity and new charismatic youth leadership are 
likely to reshape the political landscape into the 2020s. 

Gabon
Gabon saw an uncertain start to 2019, due to concerns about 
President Ali Bongo’s health, raising questions about an 
earlier than expected political transition. The economic 
outlook seems more certain with economic growth expected 
to rise to 5.1 per cent in 2019. Although public finances are yet 
to be restored to full health, substantive reforms have been 
positively received by the IMF. 

There has also been significant progress towards restoring the 
attractiveness of Gabon’s mature oil industry. The finalisation of the 
new hydrocarbons code, now awaiting legislative approval, is a very 
positive step. The launch of a new licensing round in late 2018 
should also encourage higher levels of IOC interest. 

Côte d’Ivoire
Over the past 18 months, the Ivorian Government has awarded 
more than a dozen open licences to IOCs and juniors. This 
is an important step in the revival of Côte d’Ivoire as a major 
West African exploration frontier. Leadership at the Ministry 
of Energy changed in December 2018, but the Government’s 
commitment to finding the next generation of oil and gas 
fields is unlikely to change. 

Politically, the country has remained among the most stable in 
the region, though a period of uncertainty is beginning, ahead 
of the 2020 election. President Ouattara is due to stand down 
and this has prompted a significant and ongoing realignment 
of parties and leaders that is likely to dominate political 
activity in 2019. 

Equatorial Guinea
The IMF estimated that Equatorial Guinea’s economy 
contracted for the fifth successive year in 2018, due to falling 
hydrocarbon production, weak oil and gas prices and the 
resulting reduction in government capital investment. 
Its response to rapid decline in hydrocarbons output has 
been pragmatic and focused. New exploration licences have 
been awarded and the Government is seeking partners to 
invest in mature fields with a focus on boosting production 
and reducing costs. Politically, the country has remained 
largely stable during the downturn, but there is some 
uncertainty linked to the leadership transition expected 
in the years ahead.

www.tullowoil.com

17

STRATEGIC REPORTSTRATEGIC REPORT
STRATEGIC REPORT
OUR STRATEGY

OUR CORE FOCUS ON VALUE CREATION 

Tullow continues to reduce debt, whilst investing in high-return growth opportunities 
in its low-cost, long-life asset base. This, in combination with pursuing inorganic growth 
opportunities and delivering a sustainable dividend to shareholders, ensures value 
creation for all stakeholders.

STRATEGIC PRIORITY

DESCRIPTION

PROGRESS MADE IN 2018

OUR 
BUSINESS

1FINANCING 

We run our business in a 
financially disciplined manner. 
Reducing the cost and size of our 
debt facilities, whilst maintaining 
liquidity to finance our business, 
was the core focus of 2018, the 
delivery of which was supported 
by an embedded cost-conscious 
culture.

Since 2015, we have reduced our 
cost base and absolute level of debt. 
Net debt reduced by 36 per cent over 
the last two years to $3.1 billion in 
2018. Tullow cancelled the Revolving 
Credit Facility (RCF), before its 
maturity, saving costs from reduced 
fees. Overall, finance costs decreased 
by $23 million, from $352 million to 
$329 million in 2018.

FINANCE COST SAVINGS

$23M

2018 NET DEBT REDUCED BY 

12%

OUR 
BUSINESS

2 DELIVERING 

Key to the delivery of safe and 
efficient operations is low-cost 
production; prudent capital 
expenditure to maintain 
production from our assets; 
keeping our people and 
contractors safe and well; 
delivery of key operational 
projects; and ensuring we run 
our organisation effectively.

Successful tie-in of four new wells 
in Ghana with producers meeting or 
exceeding expectations. 

Also in Ghana, the rotation of turret 
on the Jubilee FPSO completed the 
critical, penultimate milestone on 
the TRP. 

Kenya’s Early Oil Pilot Scheme 
(EOPS), designed to truck up to 
2,000 bopd to Mombasa, was 
successfully initiated. 

EOPS DELIVERING UP TO

2,000BOPD

WELLS DRILLED IN GHANA

4

OUR 
BUSINESS

3 GROWING  

Our strategic priority in 2018 was 
to grow and sustain production 
from our Ghana business and 
access new exploration acreage; 
in Central & West Africa, to grow 
our reserves and resources 
profile; in East Africa to progress 
our major development projects, 
which will increase our low-cost 
production base by over 50 per cent; 
and to high-grade our exploration 
portfolio, adding new attractive 
acreage whilst managing our 
equity exposure. 

In Ghana, Expressions of Interest 
were made for the new exploration 
acreage, marketed by the 
Government of Ghana. Our 
non-operated CWA business was 
successful in adding significant 
reserves and resources to the 
portfolio. In East Africa, we passed 
a major gate review for our Kenya 
project and in Uganda progressed 
the technical elements of the project. 
In New Ventures, we acquired 
1,300 sq km in new licence acreage 
in onshore Côte d’Ivoire (CDI). 

CWA 2P RESERVES ADDED 

12.5MMBOE

CDI ACREAGE ACQUIRED

1,300SQ KM

EFFECTIVENESS

4LEADERSHIP 

The new Executive Team was 
established in April 2017. In 2018, 
leadership effectiveness was 
introduced to recognise the 
importance of strong leadership 
in managing unforeseen 
and critical business activity. 

VISION DEVELOPED

2030 

The team has conducted four 
offsites to review its own 
performance, including input from 
a 360-degree feedback, as well 
as to debate and align approach 
to strategic issues. In 2018, 
the Executive Team spent time 
developing the 2030 Vision for 
the Company. 

18
18

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts
Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

DELIVERING ON OUR COMMITMENTS

Our balanced scorecard is made up of key performance indicators 
(KPIs), measuring our performance across a range of operational,  
financial and non-financial measures. 

>>

Remuneration  
Report 

83

Tullow’s balanced scorecard is central to our 
approach to performance management and the 
2018 indicators were agreed in advance with the 
Board. Each year, targets within the scorecard may 
change to reflect the most material strategic 
objectives and associated risks the Company faces, 
as well as measures to deliver on the longer-term 
strategy of the Company. Tullow’s performance 
against the Group scorecard is tracked regularly 
and reviewed at monthly and quarterly performance 
management meetings, which are attended by the 
Executive Team members. The Group’s ongoing 
performance is cascaded quarterly to staff through 
management briefings and internal communications.

The scorecard is used to determine Executive 
Directors’ and employees’ performance-related pay 
to ensure that all areas of the business are driving 
towards the same goals. Executive Directors’ and 
Executive Vice Presidents’ performance is judged 
solely on the delivery of the targets set in the Group 
scorecard, whereas all other permanent employees’ 
bonuses are based on a combination of individual 
and Group performance. 

For 2018 a decision was taken to amend the Group 
scorecard so that it focused on: financing our 
business, delivering our business, growing our 
business and leadership effectiveness. 

Each objective measured has trigger, base and 
stretch performance targets. In 2018, we had strong 
performance in the management of our business 
and delivery against the key targets of operating 
safely, producing effectively, pursuing growth whilst 
maintaining liquidity, sustaining free cash flow and 
retaining appropriate internal financial discipline. 
Tullow’s performance from its business KPIs was 
38.4 per cent, from an available 50 per cent.

Total Shareholder Return tracks our performance 
against 17 comparator peers, over a three-year 
period. For 2018, our share price in the fourth 
quarter of 2015 was compared to the fourth quarter 
of 2018 and referenced against our comparator 
group. Over this period we ranked 8/18, which is 
above the median, and therefore scored 21.9 per cent 
out of the possible score of 50 per cent. 

2018 BALANCED SCORECARD

2  DELIVERING OUR 

BUSINESS (18.9/22%)

1  FINANCING OUR  
BUSINESS (5/5%)

KPIs linked to Executive 
remuneration

3  GROWING OUR 

BUSINESS (11/18%)

4  LEADERSHIP 

EFFECTIVENESS 
(3.5/5%)

5  TOTAL 

SHAREHOLDER 
RETURN  
(21.9/50%)

www.tullowoil.com

19

STRATEGIC REPORTKEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS CONTINUED

1

FINANCING  
OUR BUSINESS

STRATEGIC 
FINANCING 
SCORE 5/5%

2

DELIVERING  
OUR BUSINESS

PRODUCTION
SCORE 4.3/5%

FACILITY HEADROOM  
AND FREE CASH AT  
YEAR END

KPI

$1BN

WORKING INTEREST  
PRODUCTION

+81KBOEPD

KPI

0
0
3
,
7
8

0
0
4
,
1
8

0
0
2
,
5
7

0
0
4
,
3
7

0
0
1
,
7
6

OPERATING 
EXPENDITURE  
PER BARREL 
SCORE 1/1%

NET GENERAL & 
ADMINISTRATIVE 
COSTS
SCORE 1/1%

CASH OPERATING COST

NET G&A

$10.0/BOE

KPI

$90M

KPI

6
.
8
1

1
.
5
1

3
.
4
1

2
9
1

4
9
1

1
.
1
1

0
.
0
1

6
1
1

5
9

0
9

14

15

16

17

18

14

15

16

17

18
18

14

15

16

17

18
18

Measure
Maintaining sufficient liquidity to 
deliver our business plan and reducing 
our absolute levels of debt are critical 
measures of our financial health as 
a business.

Measure
Production from our Ghana and 
non-operated assets is the key 
revenue stream for the business. 

We targeted a net production of  
72–83,000 boepd in 2018.

Performance
Production performed well throughout 
2018 at 81,400 boepd and is above 
base target of 77,500 boepd. 
Production across most of Tullow 
assets exceeded budget.

Performance
We achieved our target by reducing 
net debt and gearing from $3.5 billion 
and 2.6x (net debt to adjusted EBITDAX) 
to $3.1 billion and 1.9x respectively. 
Debt maturities were extended with 
issue of $800 million of senior notes 
combined with the cancellation of 
the RCF, our Reserves Based Lending 
facility headroom and free cash 
available at $1 billion.

Measure
The operating cost associated with 
our producing assets is a measure of 
how efficient and ultimately profitable 
our producing assets are. We targeted 
our opex per barrel to between 
$10.3–$11.9 in 2018. We calculate 
our operating costs per barrel by 
dividing operating costs, including 
TRP related insurance receipts, by 
the Group’s production.  

Measure
Maintaining lean running costs of the 
business, which include staff payroll 
and office lease costs, is critical to 
the profitability and efficiency of our 
business. Net G&A is the Company’s 
corporate costs that are not offset 
against licence activity.

We targeted limiting our net G&A to 
between $95–$109 million in 2018.

Performance
Opex/boe for 2018 was $10.0/boe. 
This beat our stretch target for 2018.

Performance
Net G&A for 2018 was $90 million. 
This beat our stretch target for 2018.

LINK TO RISK
Our ability to deliver our 
‘Financing our business’ KPI 
is dependent on our ability to 
appropriately manage our 
strategy and financial risks.

LINK TO RISK
Our ability to achieve our ‘Delivering our business’ KPI is dependent on our  
ability to appropriately manage our strategy, financial, EHS or security,  
stakeholder and organisation risks.

>> Link to principal risk

Strategy risks 

Financial risks 

>> Link to principal risk

EHS or security risks 

Stakeholder risks 

54

56

>> Link to principal risk

>> Link to principal risk

55

55

Financial risks 

Stakeholder risks 

56

55

Financial risks 

Stakeholder risks 

56

55

20

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STRATEGIC REPORT 
 
 
CAPITAL 
INVESTMENT
SCORE 1/1%

CAPITAL INVESTMENT

$423M

0
2
0
,
02
2
7
,
1

7
5
8

3
2
5 4
2
2

14

15

16

17

18
18

Measure
Prudent capital expenditure is 
required to maintain and grow our 
business. Our capital investment 
was split across investing in our 
West African producing assets, 
progressing our development 
projects in East Africa and our 
exploration portfolio in our New 
Ventures business. We targeted 
limiting capex to a range of 
$426–$490 million in 2018.

Performance
Capex (excluding Uganda costs 
covered by deferred considerations) 
was $423 million. This beat our 
stretch target for 2018.

SAFETY, 
ENVIRONMENT & 
SUSTAINABILITY
SCORE 3.5/5%

KPI

LOST TIME INJURY,  
TOTAL RECORDABLE 
INJURY

KPI

1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0

2018

LTIF 12 mth avg

TRIR 12 mth avg

Measure
Protecting our people, contractors, 
communities, facilities and the 
environment impacted by our activities 
ensures we work safely and sustainably 
and maintain our good reputation. 
We measure this KPI through process 
safety events, asset integrity, lost time 
injury frequency (LTIF), number of 
malaria cases, resolution of community 
grievances, appropriate spend levels of 
our goods and services budgets with 
local suppliers and fulfilling our ESIA 
mitigation obligations.

Performance
Over the course of 2018, we had 
three lost time injuries. These were 
all finger injuries on the FPSO, 
some of which were as a result 
of dropped objects.

DELIVERY OF 
OPERATIONAL 
PROJECTS
SCORE 5/5%

OFFSHORE HOURS 
EXECUTED ON TRP

89,000

ORGANISATIONAL 
EFFECTIVENESS
SCORE 3.1/4%

COMPLETION OF CODE  
OF ETHICS TRAINING

KPI

KPI

100%

Measure
This KPI is split between delivering 
the Turret Remediation Project (TRP) 
stabilisation programme, including 
FPSO rotation and final spread mooring; 
delivering the Ghana drilling and 
completions programme; progressing 
the Kenya Early Oil Pilot Scheme, 
with production and transportation 
of oil commencing from Ngamia; 
and New Ventures operational 
programmes, including drilling the 
Cormorant well offshore Namibia. 

Measure
This KPI incorporates making progress 
against our Inclusion and Diversity 
programme, making continuous 
improvements in our engagement 
with staff; achieving a significant 
and sustainable change in our 
people development culture; and 
demonstrating an improvement 
in our Ethics and Compliance 
performance and in our information 
system compliance. 

Performance
In Ghana, the TRP neared completion 
with the Jubilee turret bearing 
successfully rotated 69 degrees, 
with no impact on production. 
The permanent spread mooring 
installation began in December 2018 
and will be implemented in Q1 2019. 
Also in Ghana, on Drilling and 
Completion Programmes, a two-rig 
drilling programme safely conducted 
operations throughout 2018, 
successfully drilling a total of four 
wells across TEN and Jubilee. 
In Kenya, the Early Oil Pilot Scheme 
is trucking 2,000 bopd per day. 

Performance
Targets to improve the representation 
of women and Africans in our Senior 
Management were agreed by the 
Board. An improvement in staff 
engagement was recorded in our 
biennial staff survey. We drove a 
material and measurable change in 
how we approach people development. 
The revised Code of Ethical Conduct 
was launched, and the online 
certification achieved 100 per cent 
completion. Information System 
e-training has shaped or increased 
cyber-attack awareness and 
phishing reporting.

LINK TO RISK
Our ability to achieve our ‘Delivering our business’ KPI is dependent on our  
ability to appropriately manage our strategy, financial, EHS or security,  
stakeholder and organisation risks.

>> Link to principal risk

Strategy risks 

Financial risks 

>> Link to principal risk

EHS or security risks 

Stakeholder risks 

54

56

>> Link to principal risk

EHS or security risks 

Stakeholder risks 

55

55

>> Link to principal risk

55

55

Organisation risks 

Stakeholder risks 

57

55

www.tullowoil.com

21

STRATEGIC REPORT 
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS CONTINUED

3

GROWING OUR 
BUSINESS

WEST AFRICA
SCORE 4/6%

EAST AFRICA
SCORE 3/6%

NEW VENTURES
SCORE 4/6%

LEADERSHIP 
SCORE 3.5/5%

4

LEADERSHIP 
EFFECTIVENESS

RESERVES  
REPLACEMENT IN 
CENTRAL WEST AFRICA

KPI

+160%

KENYA PHASE 1  
COMPLETE

FEED

VALUE GENERATED  
FROM FARM-DOWNS

KPI

KPI

EXECUTIVE FEEDBACK 
SOUGHT

$45M*

360°

Measure
We targeted increasing and sustaining 
increased production from our Ghana 
assets in 2018; we also targeted 
securing material value growth 
opportunities in West Africa, 
including growing production from 
our non-operated assets in Gabon 
and submitting applications to the 
exploration licensing bid rounds 
in Ghana.

Performance
Production from Ghana exceeded 
our target, with two rigs delivering 
four completed wells, including two 
production wells and a water injector 
at Jubilee and another production well 
at TEN. This performance facilitated 
growth in 2018 TEN oil production of 
c.8,500 bopd (net), and will deliver 
material additional production from 
2019. Our non-operated portfolio is 
producing as expected, and has 
reversed years of decline in reserves 
and resources. 12.5 MMboe have been 
added to 2P reserves, representing 
160 per cent reserves replacement. 

Measure
In Kenya our target was to work 
towards commercialising the Kenya 
investment, maximising the asset 
value and progressing the ESIAs and 
Front End Engineering and Design 
(FEED). In Uganda our target was to 
complete the Sales and Purchase 
Agreement for the farm-down of 
equity to Joint Venture Partners 
CNOOC and Total and to achieve FID. 

Performance
In Kenya, successful completion of 
the ‘Select to Define Gate’ took place 
and the ESIAs for the upstream and 
midstream projects are ongoing, in 
parallel with the FEED. Both the 
upstream and midstream Phase 1 
FEED is complete, with FEED Phase 
2 due for completion by end Q1 2019. 
The Uganda farm-down did not 
complete as expected by the end 
of 2018.

LINK TO RISK
Our ability to deliver our ‘Growing our business’ KPI is dependent on our  
ability to appropriately manage our strategy, financial and stakeholder risks.

*  Includes transactions entered into in 2018 
that are pending government approval 
and include expected savings from 2019 
work programmes.

Measure
Our target was to access 
commercially attractive acreage 
whilst actively managing equities in 
our existing acreage. In addition, we 
have been maturing commercially 
attractive prospects to build future 
drilling campaigns for testing in 
2019/20. Our objective for the wildcat 
Cormorant well offshore Namibia 
was to discover oil.

Performance
We secured new licences in 
Côte d’Ivoire and Suriname and 
increased equity in licences in 
Guyana and Suriname. Tullow has 
exited Greenland and Ethiopia and is 
progressing on the Pakistan exit plan. 
Over $45 million of value has been 
generated for the Group through 
farm-down deals entered into in 
2018, attracting quality partners. 
Good progress was made in maturing 
prospects in Guyana. The Cormorant 
well (Namibia) was delivered safely 
and to budget, but did not 
encounter any hydrocarbons.

Measure
This KPI qualitatively assesses the 
effectiveness and cohesion of the 
Executive Team, and evaluates its 
demonstration of leadership and 
ability to manage unforeseen matters 
throughout the year. 

Performance
The following was factored in 
the scoring:

 - clarity of purpose, setting the right 

tone and staff engagement;

 - legal dispute resolutions (Seadrill);

 - business resolutions;

 - Turret Remediation Project; and

 - government/stakeholder 

relationships. 

LINK TO RISK
Our ability to deliver our 
‘Leadership effectiveness’ KPI 
is dependent on our ability to 
appropriately manage our 
organisation and conduct risks.

>> Link to principal risk

>> Link to principal risk

>> Link to principal risk

>> Link to principal risk

Strategy risks 

Financial risks 

54

56

Strategy risks 

Stakeholder risks 

54

55

Strategy risks 

Stakeholder risks 

54

55

Organisation risks 

Conduct risks 

57

57

22

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STRATEGIC REPORT5

TOTAL SHAREHOLDER 
RETURN 

TOTAL SHAREHOLDER 
RETURN
SCORE 21.9%/50% 

TULLOW SHARE PRICE PERFORMANCE

8/18PEER GROUP

500

400

300

200

100

0

10

08
09
 Tullow 

11 12 13 14 15 16

 FTSE 100

17
18
 FTSE 250

Measure
Our purpose is to build long-term 
sustainable value resulting in returns 
to our investors, as well as host 
countries and employees. Tullow 
measures TSR over a three-year 
period relative to 18 European and 
US E&P peers, and the measure 
of performance incorporates share 
price change and any relevant 
dividends paid by each company over 
a three-year performance period. 
TSR performance is calculated as 
the percentage change in the average 
daily Return Index (Thomson Reuters 
Datastream) from the final three 
months of 2015 to the final three 
months of 2018. 

Performance
Tullow ranked eighth in a peer group 
of 18 companies, which triggered a 
score of 21.9 per cent. This performance 
is ranked with the TSR performance 
of the peer group to determine 
relative TSR. The TSR performance 
factor is 0 per cent for below median 
performance and increases on a 
straight-line basis from 25 per cent 
at median to 100 per cent for top 
quartile performance.

LINK TO RISK
Our ability to deliver our 
‘Total Shareholder Return’ 
KPI is dependent on our ability 
to appropriately manage our 
strategy and financial risks.

>> Link to principal risk

Strategy risks 

Financial risks 

54

56

2019 BALANCED SCORECARD 
Financial, operational and business  
development targets will again be included  
in the 2019 Scorecard. To support delivery 
of our longer-term 2030 Vision, new KPIs 
to deliver progress against ‘Progressive’ 
and ‘Sustainable’ have been included. 

A summary of the 2019 Scorecard targets  
is listed below:

DELIVERING OUR BUSINESS (15%)
Targets relating to EHS, production, 
financing, capex, opex, net G&A, projects 
and operational delivery.

GROWING OUR BUSINESS (20%)
Deliver growth activities relating to West Africa,  
East Africa and New Ventures.

PURSUING OUR VISION (15%)
 - Progressive: Creating a plan to build a more 
progressive organisation, driving innovation 
and process improvement.

 - Sustainable: Demonstrating a measurable 
improvement in our approach to shared 
prosperity, environmental stewardship, equality 
and transparency and responsible operations.

 - Leadership effectiveness: Considering the 

effectiveness of leadership in managing critical 
business activity and unforeseen events 
throughout the year.

TOTAL SHAREHOLDER RETURN (50%)
Generating share price growth and sustainable  
dividends for our shareholders.

www.tullowoil.com

23

STRATEGIC REPORTOPERATIONS REVIEW

WEST AFRICA

Tullow’s West Africa business continues to 
underpin the Group with strong production 
performance across all our assets. The TEN 
fields and the West African non-operated 
business outperformed substantially in 2018 
and with further growth in production to come 
in 2019, this business is well-positioned to 
deliver on its full potential. 

“ Tullow ’s West Africa business 
continues to underpin the Group 
with strong production performance 
across all our assets.”

Gary Thompson, Executive Vice President, West Africa

24

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

PRODUCTION
Tullow’s West Africa oil assets performed strongly 
in 2018 and delivered net production of 88,200 bopd. 
This includes production-equivalent insurance 
payments of 8,600 bopd received under Tullow’s 
corporate business interruption insurance. Working 
interest gas production averaged 1,800 boepd giving 
overall Group net production of 90,000 boepd.

In 2019, overall working interest oil production, 
including production-equivalent insurance 
payments, is expected to increase and is forecast 
to average between 93,000 and 101,000 bopd. 
Working interest gas production from TEN is 
expected to average 1,000 boepd. 

Overall Group net production is therefore expected 
to be in the range of 94,000 to 102,000 boepd. 

WEST AFRICA

Ghana
Drilling programme
Tullow returned to drilling in Ghana in 2018 
following the conclusion of proceedings at the 
ITLOS tribunal in Hamburg in September 2017 and 
after gaining Government approval of the Greater 
Jubilee Full Field Development Plan. Tullow began 
a new drilling programme in March with the 
Maersk Venturer and a second rig, the Stena Forth, 
was contracted during the year to work alongside 
the Maersk Venturer. The second rig was contracted 
for an initial three-well campaign with flexible 
extension options reflecting conditions in the rig 
market which continue today. The Stena Forth 
began drilling in October 2018 and the additional rig 
capacity enabled Tullow to carry out simultaneous 
drilling and completion activity, allowing the tie-in 
of new wells to be brought forward. The results from 
this programme, which was completed within budget, 
were in line with, or exceeded, pre-drill expectations. 

In 2019, Tullow expects to drill and complete 
seven new wells across the TEN and Jubilee fields 
allowing gross oil production from Ghana to rise 
to around 180,000 bopd.

Jubilee
Gross production for 2018 averaged 78,000 bopd 
(net: 27,700 bopd) which increases to 36,300 bopd 
(net) after including 8,600 bopd of net production-
equivalent insurance payments. Production from 
Jubilee was slightly lower than expected. This 
was due to downtime related to work on the gas 
compression system in the first half of 2018 and 
some minor facilities issues towards the end of the 
year, which have since been resolved. Over the 
year, two new Jubilee production wells, J51-P and 
J53-P, were drilled and successfully met all pre-drill 
expectations. The completion of a water injector, 
well drilled during the previous campaign, was also 

STRATEGIC REPORTcarried out. These wells were brought on stream in 
the second half and are accessing highly productive 
parts of the reservoir. 

Tullow expects 2019 average gross oil production from 
the Jubilee field to increase to around 96,000 bopd 
(net: 34,000 bopd). Tullow’s corporate business 
interruption insurance is expected to provide 
around 1,000 bopd of net production-equivalent 
insurance payments, resulting in expected total 
2019 Jubilee full-year net production of around 
35,000 bopd.

Turret Remediation Project
The Turret Remediation Project is close to 
completion. This pioneering and unique project, 
which included the first ever remediation of this 
type at sea, required the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah to 
be shut down twice in the first half of 2018 for work 
to stabilise the turret bearing for periods of 19 days 
and 21 days respectively. In December 2018, the 
FPSO was successfully rotated to its new heading 
of 205 degrees and subsequently spread-moored. 

The JV Partners have also agreed to install a 
Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring (CALM) buoy for 
offtake from the FPSO and a contract award has 
been made. The installation of the CALM buoy is 
likely to take place in 2020 and is not expected to 
affect production. 

TEN
The TEN fields performed well in 2018, with gross 
production averaging 64,500 bopd (net: 30,400 bopd) 
reflecting good results from the drilling programme. 
The first additional Ntomme well, NT05-P, was 
successfully drilled in the first half of the year and 
started producing in August 2018. A second new 
producer, EN10-P, is currently being completed 
and is expected to be online in February. 

Tullow expects 2019 gross oil production from 
the TEN fields to average around 83,000 bopd 
(net: 39,000 bopd). Tullow is confident of this growth 
in production following strong performance in 2018, 
good results from recently drilled wells in both the 
Ntomme and Enyenra fields and production testing 
that has seen the TEN FPSO deliver in excess of its 
design capacity. The forecast includes a two-week 
shut-down of the TEN FPSO for routine maintenance 
which is currently scheduled for the second 
quarter of 2019. Gross gas production is expected 
to be around 2,100 boepd (net:1,000 boepd). 

Exploration 
Tullow has successfully pre-qualified for Ghana’s 
maiden licensing round with bids due by mid-May 
2019. The licensing process is expected to 
conclude by the end of August 2019. 

Kweku Awotwi, Managing 
Director Ghana, during 
visit to Jubilee FPSO.

Stena Forth drillship, 
offshore Ghana.

www.tullowoil.com

25

STRATEGIC REPORTOPERATIONS REVIEW CONTINUED

WEST AFRICA CONTINUED

Following a trial in the English Commercial Court 
in May 2018, the court ruled on 3 July 2018 that 
Tullow was not entitled to terminate its West Leo 
rig contract with Seadrill on 4 December 2016 by 
invoking the contract’s force majeure provisions. 
Following advice from counsel, Tullow decided 
not to appeal this ruling. Tullow paid Seadrill 
a termination fee, other standby fees that accrued 
in the 60 days prior to termination of the contract and 
interest amounting to $248 million in aggregate. 

Although Tullow regards these as JV Partner costs, 
Kosmos disputed separately, through an International 
Chamber of Commerce arbitration against Tullow, 
its share of the liability (c.20 per cent) of any costs 
related to the use of the West Leo rig beyond 
1 October 2016. On 17 July 2018, the arbitration 
tribunal delivered a final and binding award in 
favour of Kosmos which determined that Kosmos 
is not liable for its share of these costs. As a result 
of both litigation results, Tullow’s net exposure in 
2018 was a cash outflow of $208 million.

Non-operated portfolio and gas production
In 2018, production was strong across the West Africa 
non-operated portfolio and averaged 21,500 bopd, 
well ahead of the Group’s initial 2018 forecast of 
19,000 bopd. The Equatorial Guinea fields performed 
particularly well in the first half of the year following 
a change of operator. In Gabon, the Simba 
development in Gabon has been completed and 
came on stream in January. Production in 2019 
from the West Africa non-operated portfolio is 
forecast to be between 22,000 and 24,000 bopd. 

Gas production 
In 2018, full-year net gas production from the TEN 
fields and the UK averaged 1,700 boepd. In 2019, 
Tullow will solely produce gas in Ghana following the 
cessation of production in Tullow’s UK assets in 2018. 

Decommissioning
The decommissioning programme for the remaining 
Tullow operated wells in the UK North Sea is expected 
to have been completed by the third quarter of 
2019. Tullow will then undertake final removal and 
clearance activities to restore the seabed. Tullow 
ceased production from its non-operated UK North 
Sea assets during the third quarter of 2018. The 
decommissioning programme for these assets 
is expected to be completed by 2025. 

In Mauritania, the Chinguetti FPSO (non-operated) 
was disconnected and demobilised in the first half 
of 2018. The permanent abandonment programme 
for the wells in the field will start in mid-2019. 

26

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

EAST AFRICA 

This year the East Africa team will be driving 
hard towards two Final Investment Decisions 
on our East African projects which have the 
potential to deliver over 50,000 bopd of 
net production to Tullow by the early 2020s. 
We are making good progress in both Uganda 
and Kenya and are focused on delivering on 
the growth potential that these projects offer.

“ This year the East Africa team 
will be driving hard towards two 
Final Investment Decisions in 
East Africa.”

Mark MacFarlane, Executive Vice President, East Africa

STRATEGIC REPORTKENYA

Development 
The Kenya development plan is progressing 
well, and the project continues to target a 
Final Investment Decision (FID) in late 2019 
and First Oil in 2022. 

In February 2018, Tullow announced that following 
a full assessment of all the exploration and 
appraisal data, Tullow estimates that the South 
Lokichar Basin contains 240 – 560 – 1,230 million 
barrels (1C–2C–3C) of recoverable resources from 
overall discovered oil in place of up to 4 billion 
barrels. The additional remaining conventional 
undrilled prospect inventory of the basin is 
approximately 230 million barrels risked mean 
recoverable resources, not including further 
potential in underexplored plays. 

Tullow and its JV Partners also proposed to the 
Government of Kenya that the Amosing, Ngamia and 
Twiga fields should be developed as the foundation 
stage of the South Lokichar development. This 
Foundation Stage includes a 60,000 to 80,000 bopd 
Central Processing Facility (CPF) and an export 
pipeline to Lamu. The installed infrastructure from 
this initial phase is expected to be utilised for the 
optimisation of the remaining South Lokichar oil 
fields and future oil discoveries, allowing the 
incremental development of these fields to be 
completed at a lower unit cost post First Oil. 

Total gross capex associated with the foundation 
stage is expected to be c.$3 billion.

In 2018, the development project gained momentum. 
Key workstreams relating to Front End Engineering 
and Design (FEED) and the Environmental Social 
Impact Assessments (ESIAs) of the upstream and 
pipeline commenced in mid-2018. Extended 
injection and production testing also took place 
with results in line with expectations. Dynamic data 
from these tests has materially assisted with the 
development plan for the foundation stage. Key 
upstream components such as well count, well 
spacing and CPF design are now well defined. 

In 2019, several critical tasks must be completed 
to reach a Final Investment Decision by year end. 
These tasks include completing commercial 
framework agreements with the Government 
of Kenya and finalising FEED studies in the first 
quarter of 2019 and concluding agreements over 
land title and water supply with the Government 
of Kenya and submitting both the upstream and 
the mid-stream ESIAs in the second quarter. 

Madhan Srinivasan, Head of Development, Tullow Kenya, and Martin Mbogo,  
Managing Director, Tullow Kenya, at EOPS First Oil event, Turkana, Kenya.

Early Oil Pilot Scheme (EOPS)
The transfer of stored crude oil from Turkana to 
Mombasa by road commenced on 3 June 2018. 
This milestone was marked by a ceremony 
attended by H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta, 
H.E. Deputy President H.E. William Ruto, the 
Turkana County Governor and Turkana MPs as well 
as many other government ministers and officials. 
The first truck arrived at the refinery in Mombasa 
on 7 June 2018, where the oil is being stored for 
future export. 

The trucks are currently transporting approximately 
600 bopd and this is expected to increase to 
2,000 bopd once the EOPS is fully operational in 
April 2019. So far, over 70,000 barrels of oil have 
been transported to Mombasa. A maiden lifting of 
Kenyan crude oil is expected in mid-2019. Tullow 
has begun to market Kenya’s low sulphur oil ahead 
of this first lifting with initial market reactions 
being very positive. 

www.tullowoil.com

27

STRATEGIC REPORTOPERATIONS REVIEW CONTINUED

UGANDA

Following meetings in January 2019 between the 
CEOs of both Tullow and Total and H.E. President 
Museveni of Uganda, Tullow has agreed the 
principles for Capital Gains Tax on its $900 million 
Uganda farm-down to CNOOC and Total. The 
Government and the JV Partners are now engaged 
in discussions to finalise an agreement reflecting 
this tax treatment that will enable completion 
of the farm-down to take place. Any Capital Gains 
Tax is expected to be phased and partly linked to 
project progress. At completion of the farm-down, 
Tullow anticipates receiving a cash payment of 
$100 million and a payment of the working capital 
completion adjustment and deferred consideration 
for the pre-completion period of $108 million. 
A further $50 million of cash consideration is 
due to be received when FID is taken on the 
development project. 

The JV Partners continue to work towards reaching 
FID for the development project around mid-2019. 
During 2018, the upstream and pipeline FEED 
were completed in preparation for the award of 
Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) 
contracts in 2019. Drilling and well construction 
designs and contracting activities are complete 
and contracts are ready to be awarded. ESIAs for 
both Tilenga and Kingfisher were submitted to the 
National Environmental Management Authority for 
review with approval expected in the first half of 
2019. Land access activities have progressed with 
the active support of the Government in line with 
project requirements. In addition, critical transport 
infrastructure, including roads and an airport 
within the development area is being improved by 
the Government in support of the development.

Project financing for the pipeline is progressing 
well with the development of the financial model 
ongoing. In the first half of 2019, the JV Partners 
anticipate completing key commercial, technical 
and land agreements with the governments of 
Uganda and Tanzania as well as the submission 
of an ESIA for the pipeline to both governments. 

28

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

NEW VENTURES

In 2019, Tullow will drill three wildcat wells 
in Guyana. These are high-potential, high-risk 
wells in the world’s newest oil hot spot and 
we are excited about the opportunity that 
our licences in Guyana offer. In addition, 
we continue to work up other drilling prospects 
in highly prospective areas across Africa and 
South America for drilling in 2020 and beyond.

“ In 2019, Tullow will drill three 
wildcat wells in Guyana. These are 
high-potential , high-risk wells in 
the world’s newest oil hot spot.”

Ian Cloke, Executive Vice President, New Ventures

STRATEGIC REPORTAFRICA 

Côte d’Ivoire
In Côte d’Ivoire, Tullow began its work programme 
across its new onshore blocks in April 2018 with 
a full tensor gravity gradiometry (FTG) survey 
covering 8,600 sq km. This survey was completed 
in May 2018 and the data is being used to optimise 
the location of a 2D seismic survey planned to 
commence in the third quarter 2019. Tullow 
continues to reprocess 3D seismic data for the 
offshore Block CI-524, which sits alongside the 
maritime border with Ghana, next to Tullow’s 
operated TEN fields. 

Tullow signed a farm-out agreement for a 30 per cent 
interest in all seven onshore licences to Cairn 
Energy Plc. This farm-out is subject to obtaining 
Government approval and will leave Tullow with a 
60 per cent operated interest in each licence with 
most of the pre-drilling exploration costs carried. 

Namibia 
In September 2018, Tullow drilled the Cormorant-1 
well offshore Namibia. The well encountered 
non-commercial hydrocarbons and was plugged 
and abandoned. Gas signatures, indicative of oil, 
were encountered in the overlying shale section, 
supporting the concept of a working oil system 
in the area. The combination of a simple well 
design, efficient operations and a farm-out in 
2017 resulted in net expenditure on this well of 
less than $3 million. Data gained from the well, 
in combination with high-quality 3D seismic data, 
will be used to evaluate the next steps for the 
Group’s Namibian acreage in PEL-37. Separately, 
Tullow has decided to exit block PEL-30 in Namibia. 

Mauritania 
In 2018, a 9,300 sq km 3D seismic survey was 
completed over Block C18, in which Tullow holds 
a 15 per cent non-operated stake. Tullow’s share 
of the cost was carried under previous farm-down 
agreements. The data is currently being interpreted 
ahead of a drill or drop decision in April. In Block C3, 
in which Tullow holds a 100 per cent operated 
stake, the Group has been interpreting the 3D 
seismic survey captured in 2017 to identify 
prospects for a potential 2020 well.

Zambia 
In 2018, interpretation of a FTG survey and modelling 
of passive seismic data recorded in 2017 has 
indicated that this rift basin may be higher risk 
than originally anticipated. Tullow is therefore 
evaluating its next steps in Zambia. 

Oceanic Sirius seismic 
vessel, offshore Mauritania.

Ocean Rig  
Poseidon drillship, 
offshore Namibia.

The Comoros
Tullow announced on 29 November 2018 that it 
had agreed with Discover Exploration Ltd to farm 
into Blocks 35, 36 and 37, offshore the Union of 
the Comoros in the Indian Ocean. Following the 
completion of this transaction, which requires 
government approval, Tullow will operate the three 
blocks and hold a working interest of 35 per cent. 
The blocks comprise an area of 16,063 sq km with 
a gross unrisked resource potential of up to 7 billion 
barrels of oil. A 3D seismic survey is planned for 
the third quarter of 2019.

www.tullowoil.com

29

STRATEGIC REPORTOPERATIONS REVIEW CONTINUED

Deck of offshore 
drillship.

SOUTH AMERICA 

Guyana
Guyana will be the focus for Tullow’s exploration 
drilling programme in 2019. Tullow plans to drill 
the Jethro prospect in the second quarter of 2019 
as the first of two planned wells on the Orinduik 
block. Prospect selection amongst the JV Partners 
is ongoing for the second planned well on the 
Orinduik Block. The success of the neighbouring 
Hammerhead-1 well in August 2018, only 7 km 
from the Orinduik block boundary, has further 
de-risked this acreage. Tullow and its partners 
are in the final stages of contracting a Drillship 
for the Orinduik drilling programme. 

The Carapa prospect will be tested on the Kanuku 
licence in the third quarter of 2019. In 2018, Tullow 
increased its equity share in the Kanuku licence, 
offshore Guyana, from 30 per cent to 37.5 per cent 
through a farm-in deal with Repsol. 

Jamaica 
Interpretation of a 2,200 sq km 3D seismic survey 
recorded in 2018 continues as Tullow matures 
prospects that can compete for capital for drilling 
in 2020.

Peru
In Peru, Tullow agreed the terms to acquire a 100 
per cent stake in offshore Blocks Z-64, Z-65, Z-66, 
Z-67 and Z-68 in early 2018. However, in May 2018, 
the Supreme Decrees, authorising PeruPetro, the 
state regulator, to execute licence contracts for these 
blocks, were revoked by the Peruvian Government. 
Tullow was disappointed by this outcome as 
the Group complied with all the processes and 
procedures required under Peruvian law to agree 
new exploration licences. 

Since the revocation, Tullow expressed its continued 
interest in the licences and has worked closely with 

30

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

PeruPetro towards execution of these licences. 
In January 2019, a new Supreme Decree was 
issued which detailed how oil exploration licences 
are to be awarded in Peru and included clear 
regulations around public consultation. 

Separately, Tullow agreed to acquire a 35 per cent 
interest in Block Z-38 through a farm-down from 
Karoon Gas Australia. This agreement also 
remains subject to government approval. This 
acreage complements the Group’s current position 
in South America and contains several attractive 
prospects and leads for potential drilling in 2020.

Suriname
In October, Tullow was awarded Block 62 in which 
it has a 100 per cent operated interest. This block 
contains similar deep-water plays to Block 47. 
In addition, Tullow completed a farm-out of a 
30 per cent interest in the Block 47 licence to 
Pluspetrol for a carry on a future well. Work has 
continued maturing prospects in Block 47 for 
potential drilling in 2020. In Block 54, Tullow has 
continued to examine results from the Araku well 
ahead of any potential drilling. 

Uruguay 
Tullow has decided that it will not enter the next 
term of the Block 15 exploration licence with 
potential prospects being deemed too high-risk. 
Tullow will exit the licence in March 2019.

ASIA

Pakistan
In December 2018, Tullow agreed to sell its 30 per cent 
interest in the Kohlu licence, Pakistan to OPL. 
Government approval is anticipated in the first 
half of 2019. This is Tullow’s last remaining 
licence in Pakistan. 

STRATEGIC REPORT“ Project Oil Kenya has the potential 
to positively change Turkana and the 
country as a whole. Key to future 
success is engagement with the many 
people affected by this project.”

Regina Ekai , Village Socialisation Officer

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER’S STATEMENT

A TRANSFORMED 
BALANCE SHEET

2018 was another year of good financial delivery 
from Tullow. We successfully delivered further 
efficiency improvements having now reset the cost 
base of the business for the long term. We grew 
our revenue and continue to generate significant 
free cash flow. The strong set of results builds on 
the good progress made in recent years, creating a 
solid financial platform for the business to grow 
from. We have achieved our target to become a 
balanced self-funding E&P business, where our 
strong cash flow generation provides us with the 
financial flexibility to appropriately allocate capital 
to optimise our balance sheet, invest in our 
business and make returns to shareholders. 

Delivering on our targets
During 2018, we invested $423 million in the business, 
of which approximately half was directed to our 
high-return, immediate cash flow West Africa 
production portfolio. This enabled us to grow 
production in Ghana and once again reverse the 
decline of our non-operated Central West Africa 
portfolio. This investment, combined with 
sustained cost discipline and a higher oil price, 
resulted in the Group generating $1.9 billion 
of revenue. 

In parallel, our Group operating costs continued to 
track downwards with unit opex down by $1.1/boe 
year-on-year to $10.0/boe (2017: $11.1/boe). In other 
costs, our net G&A reduced to $90 million (2017: 
$95 million), and we saw a further reduction in our 
finance costs to $329 million (2017: $352 million) 
as we continued to reduce absolute debt level and 
further optimise our capital structure. 

The culmination of these outcomes was full-year 
EBITDAX of $1.6 billion (2017: $1.3 billion) and 
free cash flow of $411 million (2017: $543 million) 
enabling net debt to reduce to $3.1 billion and 
a gearing level of 1.9x (2017: $3.5 billion; 
2.6x respectively). 

2018 HIGHLIGHTS
 - The hard work to improve the balance 

sheet has resulted in the Board’s decision 
to pay shareholders a dividend of no less 
than $100 million per year from 2019 and 
recommended a final 2018 dividend of 
US4.8c/share, payable in May 2019.

 - Production performance was strong in 2018, 
at 90,000 boepd and production is forecast 
to grow in 2019 to 94,000–102,000 boepd.

 -  Full-year revenue of $1.9 billion and 

additional proceeds of $0.2 billion from 
lost production insurance proceeds.

 - Strong free cash flow of $411 million, 
net debt at year end of $3.1 billion and 
gearing of 1.9x.

“ Tullow moves into 2019 in a much 
stronger financial position, able to 
invest in growth opportunities and 
restore returns to our shareholders.”

Les Wood, Chief Financial Officer

32

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STRATEGIC REPORTOne-off financial items
2018 was a year where we saw two significant 
outcomes adversely impacting our financial results. 
Firstly, we had a disappointing result from litigation 
action regarding our rig contract and force majeure 
claim of the Seadrill West Leo rig contracted back 
in 2015. This resulted in a net cash outflow from 
Tullow of $208 million in the second half of the 
year, impacting our free cash flow. In addition, 
the completion of the Uganda farm-down to Total 
and CNOOC was not completed by year end as 
forecast, delaying the cash consideration due on 
completion and reimbursement of capex spent in 
the pre-close period. While, of course, not what 
we had targeted, this is a timing effect and we 
continue to work hard towards delivering this 
transaction and supporting the Joint Venture 
to achieve FID mid-2019.

Strengthening our capital structure
We continue to optimise our capital structure and 
a key activity in the first half of the year was the 
refinancing of one of our high-yield bonds. We 
successfully extended the maturity of our 2020 
bond out to 2025, and were able to upsize from 
$650 to $800 million. The bond was significantly 
oversubscribed, reflecting the quality of our assets 
and our debt investors’ confidence in our future 
delivery. In the second half of the year we also took 
the decision to cancel our $350 million undrawn 
residual Revolving Credit facility four months early, 
given our strong headroom position. The Group 
retains significant liquidity of over $1 billion, including 
free cash and headroom under the Reserves Based 
Lending (RBL) facility, and we have no near-term 
maturities. We are now in a strong financial 
position with a simple, balanced capital structure. 

Outlining our capital allocation framework
During the year we laid out our capital allocation 
framework. We have three priorities for the use 
of our capital: continued deleveraging, investing in 
our business and shareholder returns. While in 
recent years we have, rightly, focused primarily on 
deleveraging, the balance sheet is now in a much 
stronger place. The strong free cash flow we are 
generating allows us to invest in our business 
and continue to strengthen our balance sheet, 
and commit to shareholder returns. Our growth 
prospects are underpinned by the solid adjusted 
EBITDAX generated by the business. However, it is 
our intention to continue to drive down net debt to 
under $2 billion and maintain leverage of 1x–2x 
over time. 

We continue to have a portfolio that can operate 
flexibly, being able to significantly reduce capex 
if oil prices fell back to sustained low levels, but 
with opportunities to attract investment at the 
higher end. In 2019, we expect to spend approximately 
$570 million that will see us invest in infill drilling 

in Ghana, increasing investment to sustain and 
grow our non-operated Central West Africa 
production, carefully control pre-FID spend in 
Kenya, and take a modest step-up in exploration 
to commence the high-impact drilling campaign 
in Guyana. 

Finally, earlier this year we expressed our ambition 
to make returns to shareholders. The Company’s 
robust financial and operational position, and our 
confidence in the sustainability of our business, led 
us to announce the Board’s decision to reinstate 
the payment of a dividend from 2019. We plan to pay 
an ordinary dividend of no less than $100 million 
for the 2019 financial year and sustain this level 
or greater in future years. The confidence we have 
in the performance of the business and our strong 
financial results have also enabled us to recommend 
a final 2018 dividend of US4.8c/share ($67 million) 
that will be payable in May 2019. 

Continued prudent approach  
to cost discipline and risk management
Our capital allocation framework is supported by 
continued financial discipline. I am very proud of 
the results of the substantial cost savings we have 
made over the last three years. We set ourselves a 
target in mid-2015 to remove $500 million of cash 
costs from the business and we exceeded this in 
the middle of the year, achieving total savings 
of over $700 million. Another example is our 
continued hedging policy, protecting ourselves 
against the continued volatility of the oil price, but 
also maintaining access to upside. Our stronger 
balance sheet was recognised by Standard & Poor’s, 
which raised our credit rating from B to B+ by the 
end of 2018 and Moody’s Investors Service, which 
upgraded Tullow’s corporate credit rating by one 
notch to B1. We are determined to make sure that 
the financial discipline that has been instilled into 
the business is retained. 

Future outlook 
We have made very good progress in 2018 to move 
Tullow from recovery to growth. I believe that Tullow 
moves into 2019 in a very robust financial position, 
able to further reduce our debt, invest in growth 
opportunities and make returns to our shareholders. 

Les Wood
Chief Financial Officer

12 February 2019

www.tullowoil.com

33

STRATEGIC REPORTFINANCE REVIEW

STRONG FINANCIAL 
PERFORMANCE ROBUST 
TO OIL PRICE VOLATILITY

Financial results summary

2018

2017

Working interest production 
volume (boepd)1

Sales volume (boepd)

Realised oil price ($/bbl)

Total revenue ($m)2

Gross profit ($m)

Underlying cash operating costs 
per boe ($/boe)3

Exploration costs written off ($m)

Impairment of property, plant and 
equipment, net ($m)

Operating profit ($m)

Profit/(loss) before tax ($m)

Profit/(loss) after tax ($m)

Basic profit/(loss) per share (cents)

Capital investment ($m)3,4

Adjusted EBITDAX ($m)3

Net debt ($m)3

Gearing (times)3

Free cash flow ($m)3

81,400

74,200

68.5

1,859

1,082

10.0

295

18

528

261

85

6.1

423

1,600

3,060

1.9

411

87,300

82,200

58.3

1,723

815

11.1

143

539

22

(286)

(175)

(13.7)

225

1,346

3,471

2.6

543

1.  Including the impact of production-equivalent insurance payment 
barrels from the Jubilee field, Group working interest production 
was 90,000 boepd.

2.  Total revenue does not include receipts for Tullow’s corporate 

Business Interruption insurance of $188 million. This is included 
in other operating income which is a component of gross profit.

3.  Underlying cash operating costs per boe, capital investment, 
adjusted EBITDAX, net debt, gearing and free cash flow are 
non-IFRS measures and are explained later in this section. 
4.  Capital investment excludes Ugandan expenditure of $50 million 
in 2018 that will, subject to completion of the farm-down, be 
offset by either the working capital completion adjustment or 
deferred consideration. 

“ Tullow has made excellent progress 
in 2018, significantly deleveraging 
the balance sheet and generating 
high levels of underlying free 
cash flow.” 

Les Wood, Chief Financial Officer

Production and commodity prices 
Working interest production averaged 81,400 boepd, a 
decrease of 7 per cent for the year (2017: 87,300 boepd). 
Including the impact of production-equivalent insurance 
payments from the Jubilee field, working interest production 
averaged 90,000 boepd (2017: 94,700 boepd), a decrease of 
5 per cent. The decrease resulted from the impact of turret 
remediation work at Jubilee, and the cessation of production 
at higher cost non-operated assets. This was partially offset 
by strong production from the TEN fields and the remainder 
of the non-operated West Africa portfolio.

The Group’s realised oil price after hedging was $68.5/bbl 
and $71.8/bbl before hedging (2017: $58.3/bbl and $54.2/bbl 
respectively). The increase in underlying oil prices reduced 
the net contribution of the realisation of hedges entered into 
by the Group to total revenue. 

Underlying cash operating costs, depreciation, 
impairments, write-offs and administrative expenses
Underlying cash operating costs amounted to $327 million; 
$10.0/boe (2017: $386 million; $11.1/boe). Underlying cash 
operating costs were net of $46 million of insurance proceeds 
(2017: $51 million). The 10 per cent decrease in unit cash 
operating costs was principally due to the impact of ongoing 
cost-saving initiatives and the cessation of production from 
higher cost assets in the non-operated portfolio.

34

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STRATEGIC REPORTDD&A charges before impairment on production and 
development assets amounted to $568 million; $17.2/boe 
(2017: $574 million; $16.6/boe). A full year of amortisation of 
the TEN FPSO finance lease asset was recorded for the first 
time in 2018, as the asset was only recognised in the second 
half of 2017. This was offset by the impact of impairment 
recorded at the end of 2017. 

The Group recognised a net impairment charge of $18 million 
in respect of 2018 (2017: $539 million). Impairments in Gabon 
were largely driven by the lower Dated Brent forward curve at 
31 December 2018, whilst impairments in the UK related to 
increased decommissioning cost estimates. Impairment reversals 
were recorded in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana as a result of 
reserves upgrades and improved cost forecasts, respectively. 

During 2018, exploration costs write-offs were $295 million 
(2017: $143 million) and included $140 million for the Wawa and 
Akasa assets in Ghana, $75 million associated with capitalised 
interest on Uganda assets held for sale, and $25 million of 
New Ventures activity. The total exploration costs written off, 
net of tax, were $246 million (2017: $143 million). 

Administrative expenses of $90 million (2017: $95 million) 
included an amount of $23 million (2017: $33 million) associated 
with share-based payment charges. In June 2015 the Group 
set a target to remove $500 million of cash costs from the 
business over a three-year period. During 2017 this target was 
increased to $650 million. The three-year period concluded on 
30 June 2018, with the Group delivering $708 million of savings. 
The ongoing cost of running the business has reduced 
significantly and will continue to be a key area of focus. 

Offloading tanker at TEN FPSO, offshore Ghana.

Provision for onerous service contracts
Changes to provisions for onerous service contracts in 2018 
resulted in an income statement charge in 2018 of $167 million 
(2017: credit of $1 million). This primarily resulted from the 
adverse litigation outcome related to the West Leo rig contract 
with Seadrill.

Derivative financial instruments
Tullow undertakes hedging activities as part of the ongoing 
management of its business risk to protect against volatility 
and to ensure the availability of cash flow for re-investment 
in capital programmes that are driving business growth. 

At 31 December 2018, the Group’s derivative instruments 
had a net positive fair value of $128 million (2017: negative 
$76 million), net of deferred premium. 

2019 hedge 
position at 
31 December 2018

Hedge structure

Bought put
 (floor)

Bopd

Sold call

Bought 
call

Collars

22,244

$56.80

$81.68

–

Three-way collars 
(call spread)

29,488

$54.06

$74.60

$79.81

Straight puts

4,000

$69.24

Total/weighted 
average

55,732

$56.24

–

–

–

–

The 2020 hedging position at 31 December 2018 was 25,000 bopd 
hedged with an average floor price protected of $59.00/bbl.

Net financing costs
Net financing costs for the year were $270 million (2017: 
$310 million). The decrease in financing costs is associated 
with the reduction in interest on borrowings due to a reduction 
in the average level of net debt in 2018 compared to 2017. 
Further, in 2017 a foreign exchange loss of $29 million was 
incurred in relation to the hedging of the proceeds from the 
Rights Issue. Net financing costs include interest incurred on 
the Group’s debt facilities, foreign exchange gains/losses, the 
unwinding of discount on decommissioning provisions, and 
the net financing costs associated with finance lease assets, 
offset by interest earned on cash deposits and capitalised 
borrowing costs.

www.tullowoil.com

35

STRATEGIC REPORTFINANCE REVIEW CONTINUED

Taxation
The net tax expense of $175 million (2017: credit of $111 million) 
primarily relates to tax charges in respect of the Group’s 
production activities in West Africa, as well as UK 
decommissioning assets, reduced by deferred tax credits 
associated with exploration write-offs, impairments and 
provisions for onerous service contracts. 

The Group’s statutory effective tax rate for 2018 is 67.2 per cent 
(2017: 37.0 per cent). After adjusting for non-recurring amounts 
related to exploration write-offs, disposals, impairments and 
provisions for onerous service contracts and their associated 
deferred tax benefit, the Group’s adjusted tax rate is 40.7 per cent 
(2017: 23.8 per cent). The adjusted tax rate has increased 
due to changes in the geographical mix of profits, particularly 
the impact of increased profits from West Africa production 
taxed at higher rates, and lower tax credits due to reduced 
Norwegian exploration activities and the disposal of the 
Netherlands business during 2017.

The Group’s future statutory effective tax rate is sensitive to 
the geographic mix in which pre-tax profits and exploration 
costs written off arise. Unsuccessful exploration is often 
incurred in jurisdictions where the Group has no taxable 
profits such that no related tax benefit results. Consequently, 
the Group’s tax charge will continue to vary according to the 
jurisdictions in which pre-tax profits and exploration costs 
write-offs occur.

Profit/(loss) after tax from continuing activities  
and profit/(loss) per share
The profit after tax for the year from continuing activities 
amounted to $85 million (2017: $175 million loss). Basic 
earnings per share was 6.1 cents (2017: 13.7 cents loss).

Reconciliation of net debt

Year end 2017 net debt

Sales revenue

Other operating income – lost production 
insurance proceeds

Operating costs

Operating expenses

Cash flow from operations 

Movement in working capital

Tax paid

Purchases of intangible exploration and evaluation 
assets and property, plant and equipment

Other investing activities

Other financing activities

Foreign exchange gain on cash

Year end 2018 net debt

$m

 3,471 

 (1,859) 

(188) 

 327 

 432 

(1,288) 

 (19) 

 103 

 441 

(13) 

 367 

 (2) 

 3,060 

Capital investment
2018 capital investment (net of Uganda expenditure which 
will be repaid from either the working capital completion 
adjustment or deferred consideration post the completion 
of the Uganda farm-down) amounted to $423 million 
(2017: $225 million) with $353 million invested in development 
activities and $70 million invested in Exploration and Appraisal 
activities. More than 60 per cent of the total was invested in 
Kenya and Ghana and over 95 per cent was invested in Africa. 

Capital expenditure will continue to be carefully controlled 
during 2019. The Group’s 2019 capital expenditure is expected 
to total approximately $570 million. This total excludes 
c.$170 million of forecast Uganda expenditure which will be 
repaid from either the working capital completion adjustment 
or deferred consideration post the completion of the Uganda 
farm-down, which is expected in the first half of 2019. The capital 
investment total comprises Ghana capex of c.$250 million, 
West Africa non-operated capex of c.$90 million, Kenya 
pre-development expenditure of c.$70 million, Uganda 
post-completion Tullow costs of c.$10 million, and Exploration 
and Appraisal expenditure of c.$140 million. 

At completion of the Uganda farm-down, Tullow is also 
due to receive $100 million cash consideration along with 
re-imbursement of 2017 and 2018 capex of c.$108 million. 
A further $50 million cash consideration is due to be received 
when FID is taken on the development project.

Borrowings
On 23 March 2018, Tullow completed its offering of $800 million 
of senior notes, due in 2025. The offering was significantly 
oversubscribed and increased from the initial offering of 
$650 million. Proceeds were used to redeem, in full, senior 
notes due in 2020 and repay drawings on the Reserves Based 
Lending facility. The senior notes offering further extended 
Tullow’s debt maturities, with no scheduled debt repayments 
until 2021. On 4 April 2018, commitments under Tullow’s 
Revolving Corporate Facility (RCF) amortised in line with the 
schedule to $500 million; on 18 April 2018, Tullow voluntarily 
cancelled a further $150 million of commitments under the 
facility; and in November 2018, given the strength of the 
balance sheet, the Board decided to cancel the Group’s 
undrawn $350 million RCF, four months before maturity, 
to realise cost savings from reduced commitment fees. 
Following the cancellation of this facility, liquidity headroom 
of unutilised debt capacity and free cash were $1 billion at 
the end of 2018, maintaining flexibility for future opportunities. 

As a result of the implementation of IFRS 9 Financial 
Instruments, the Group’s opening non-current borrowings 
on 1 January 2018 increased by $111 million. Refer to the 
accounting policies section of the Financial Statements 
for further details.

36

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STRATEGIC REPORTCredit ratings 
Tullow maintains corporate credit ratings with Standard & Poor’s 
and Moody’s Investors Service. During the year, Standard & Poor’s 
upgraded Tullow’s corporate credit rating to B+ from B, and 
assigned a positive outlook; in addition, Standard & Poor’s 
raised the rating of Tullow’s corporate bonds to B+, in line 
with the corporate credit rating. Moody’s Investors Service 
upgraded Tullow’s Corporate Family Rating to B1 from B2, 
and consequently the rating of Tullow’s corporate bonds 
was raised to B3 from Caa1.

Liquidity risk management and going concern 
The Group closely monitors and manages its liquidity headroom. 
Cash forecasts are regularly produced and sensitivities run 
for different scenarios including, but not limited to, changes 
in commodity prices and different production rates from the 
Group’s producing assets. The Group had $1 billion liquidity 
headroom of unutilised debt capacity and free cash at the 
end of 2018. The Group’s forecasts show that the Group will 
be able to operate within its current debt facilities and have 
sufficient financial headroom for the 12 months from the 
date of approval of the 2018 Annual Report and Accounts.

Based on the analysis above, the Directors have a reasonable 
expectation that the Company has adequate resources to 
continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. 
Thus, they continue to adopt the going concern basis of 
accounting in preparing the annual Financial Statements.

Brexit 
It is the view of the Board that, given the Group’s focus on 
Africa and South America, Tullow’s business, assets and 
operations will not be materially affected by Brexit. Tullow 
also derives its income from crude oil, a globally traded 
commodity which is priced in US dollars. 

Nevertheless, Tullow employs a number of EU nationals in 
the UK and the Board is concerned about the uncertainty that 
a no-deal Brexit would cause these much-valued members 
of staff. To help address this concern, Tullow has established 
a Brexit Focus Group to share information with affected employees 
and ensure they are up to date with the latest developments. 

The Board also recognises that a no-deal Brexit could cause 
significant regulatory, legal and financial uncertainty with regard 
to our decommissioning programme in the UK North Sea. 
Operators would have to be carefully guided by the Department 
for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy as to exactly 
how decommissioning programmes should be executed and 
what tariffs or fees, if any, should be applied to non-UK 
service providers. 

Dividends
Dividends per share recommended in the period of USD cents 
4.8 per ordinary share which amounts to $67 million and 
will be paid on 10 May 2019 to shareholders on the share 
register at the close of business 5 April 2019.

The Board determines the appropriate dividend each year 
on consideration of the Group’s free cash flow generation, 
while ensuring an appropriate balance with debt reduction 
and investment in the business and do so in the context 
of its ability to continue as a going concern to execute its 
long term strategy and to invest in opportunities to grow 
the business and enhance shareholder value. The Group 
is well positioned to continue to fund its dividend which is 
well covered by cash generated by the business. Details 
on the Group’s viability and going concern can be found 
on page 58 and in the left-hand column.

Tullow Oil plc, the parent company of the Group, is a 
non-trading investment holding company which derives 
its distributable reserves from dividends paid by subsidiary 
companies. The Board reviews the level of distributable 
reserves in the parent company bi-annually, to align with 
the proposed interim and final dividend payment dates 
and aims to maintain distributable reserves that provide 
adequate cover for dividend payments.

The ability of the Board to maintain future dividend policy 
will be influenced by a number of the principal risks 
identified on pages 54 to 57 that could adversely impact 
the performance of the Group. The risks that could 
specifically have an adverse impact on the dividend policy 
are oil price volatility and production outages, although 
we believe we have the ability to mitigate those risks as 
outlined on pages 54 to 57. 

Events since 31 December 2018
There has not been any event since 31 December 2018 that 
has resulted in a material impact on the year-end results.

Non-IFRS measures
The Group uses certain measures of performance that 
are not specifically defined under IFRS or other generally 
accepted accounting principles. These non-IFRS 
measures include capital investment, net debt, gearing, 
adjusted EBITDAX, underlying cash operating costs and 
free cash flow.

www.tullowoil.com

37

STRATEGIC REPORTFINANCE REVIEW CONTINUED

Capital investment
Capital investment is defined as additions to property, plant 
and equipment and intangible exploration and evaluation 
assets less decommissioning asset additions, capitalised 
share-based payment charge, capitalised finance costs, 
additions to administrative assets, Norwegian tax refund and 
certain other adjustments. The Directors believe that capital 
investment is a useful indicator of the Group’s organic 
expenditure on Exploration and Appraisal assets and oil and 
gas assets incurred during a period because it eliminates 
certain accounting adjustments such as capitalised finance 
costs and decommissioning asset additions.

Additions to property, 
plant and equipment

Additions to intangible exploration 
and evaluation assets

Less:

2018
$m

2017
$m

268.1

887.7

230.4

319.0

Decommissioning asset additions

Finance lease asset additions

(42.7)

(3.8)

(33.6)

837.6

Capitalised share-based 
payment charge

Capitalised finance costs

Additions to administrative assets

Norwegian tax refund

Uganda capital investment

Other non-cash capital expenditure

Capital investment

Movement in working capital

Additions to administrative assets

Norwegian tax refund

Uganda capital investment

Cash capital expenditure 
per the cash flow statement

1.3

65.3

6.6

0.4

50.5

(2.3)

423.2

(40.2)

6.6

0.4

50.5

0.3

66.5

7.0

2.1

57.5

44.7

224.6

16.3

7.0

2.1

57.5

440.5

307.5

Net debt
Net debt is a useful indicator of the Group’s indebtedness, 
financial flexibility and capital structure because it indicates 
the level of cash borrowings after taking account of cash and 
cash equivalents within the Group’s business that could be 
utilised to pay down the outstanding cash borrowings. Net 
debt is defined as current and non-current borrowings plus 
non-cash adjustments, less cash and cash equivalents. 
Non-cash adjustments include unamortised arrangement 
fees, adjustment to convertible bonds, and other adjustments. 
The Group’s definition of net debt does not include the Group’s 
finance leases as the Group’s focus is the management of 
cash borrowings and a finance lease is viewed as deferred 
capital investment. The value of the Group’s finance lease 
liabilities as at 31 December 2018 was $221.2 million current 
and $1,191.0 million non-current; it should be noted that 
these balances are recorded gross for operated assets and 
are therefore not representative of the Group’s net exposure 
under these contracts.

2018
$m

2017
$m

Non-current borrowings

3,219.1

3,606.4

Non-cash adjustments

20.9

148.6

Less cash and cash equivalents

(179.8)

(284.0)

Net debt

3,060.2

3,471.0

Derrick of Stena Forth drillship.

38

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STRATEGIC REPORTGearing and adjusted EBITDAX
Gearing is a useful indicator of the Group’s indebtedness, 
financial flexibility and capital structure and can assist 
securities analysts, investors and other parties to evaluate 
the Group. Gearing is defined as net debt divided by adjusted 
EBITDAX. Adjusted EBITDAX is defined as profit/(loss) from 
continuing activities adjusted for income tax (expense)/credit, 
finance costs, finance revenue, gain on hedging instruments, 
depreciation, depletion and amortisation, share-based 
payment charge, restructuring costs, gain/(loss) on disposal, 
exploration costs written off, impairment of property, plant 
and equipment net, and provision for onerous service 
contracts. Adjusted EBITDAX therefore excludes interest 
on obligations under finance leases of $101.5 million, and 
interest income on amounts due from Joint Venture Partners 
for finance leases of $52.7 million, as in assessing business 
performance, management considers lease payments in 
substance to represent deferred capital expenditure. Had 
these been included in the calculation of adjusted EBITDAX, 
calculated gearing would have been 2.0 times.

Profit/(loss) from continuing activities

Less:

Income tax expense/(credit)

Finance costs

Finance revenue

Gain on hedging instruments

Depreciation, depletion 
and amortisation

Share-based payment charge

Restructuring costs

(Gain)/loss on disposal

Exploration costs written off

Impairment of property, 
plant and equipment, net

Provision for onerous 
service contracts, net

Adjusted EBITDAX

Net debt

Gearing (times)

2018
$m

85.4

175.1

328.7

(58.4)

(2.4)

2017
$m

(175.3)

(110.6)

351.7

(42.0)

(1.4)

584.1

592.2

24.9

3.4

(21.3)

295.2

33.9

14.5

1.6

143.4

18.2

539.1

167.4

(1.0)

 1,600.3 

1,346.1

 3,060.2 

3,471.0

 1.9 

2.6

Underlying cash operating costs
Underlying cash operating costs is a useful indicator of the 
Group’s costs incurred to produce oil and gas. Underlying 
cash operating costs eliminates certain non-cash accounting 
adjustments to the Group’s cost of sales to produce oil and gas. 
Underlying cash operating costs is defined as cost of sales 
less operating lease expense, depletion and amortisation of 
oil and gas assets, underlift, overlift and oil stock movements, 
share-based payment charge included in cost of sales, and 
certain other cost of sales. Underlying cash operating costs 
are divided by production to determine underlying cash 
operating costs per boe.

Cost of sales

Less:

Operating lease expense 
for the TEN FPSO

Depletion and amortisation 
of oil and gas assets

Underlift, overlift and oil 
stock movements

Share-based payment charge 
included in cost of sales

Other cost of sales

Underlying cash operating costs

Production (MMboe)

Underlying cash operating  
costs per boe ($/boe)

2018 
$m

2017 
$m

966.0

1,069.3

–

62.5

567.7

574.3

40.7

(2.3)

1.0

29.6

327.0

32.9

1.1

47.5

386.2

34.7

10.0

11.1

Free cash flow
Free cash flow is a useful indicator of the Group’s ability 
to generate cash flow to fund the business and strategic 
acquisitions, reduce borrowings and provide returns to 
shareholders through dividends. Free cash flow is defined 
as net cash from operating activities, and net cash used in 
investing activities, less debt arrangement fees, repayment 
of obligations under finance leases, finance costs paid, foreign 
exchange gain, and distribution to non-controlling interests. 

2018
$m

2017
$m

Net cash from operating activities

1,204.0

1,222.9

Net cash used in investing activities

(427.7)

(296.4)

Debt arrangement fees

(15.0)

(56.4)

Repayment of obligations  
under finance leases

Finance costs paid

Foreign exchange gain

Distribution to  
non-controlling interests

Free cash flow

(117.4)

(234.5)

1.5

–

410.9

(62.6)

(265.4)

3.5

(3.0)

542.6

www.tullowoil.com

39

STRATEGIC REPORTSUSTAINABILITY 

FURTHER INTEGRATING 
SUSTAINABILITY INTO 
OUR BUSINESS

Sustainability is one of the four pillars of our 2030 Vision  
and central to our new business strategy.

In 2018, as part of the development of our 2030 Vision, we renewed 
and expanded our sustainability strategy. We started by improving our 
understanding of the perspectives of our investors, host countries and 
communities, and colleagues on the sustainability agenda and their 
expectations of Tullow in this regard. Drawing on this work, our new 
sustainability strategy incorporates four core areas: shared prosperity, 
environmental stewardship, responsible operations and equality and 
transparency. Further detail about our activities in each of these four 
areas is set out in the following pages.

SHARED  
PROSPERITY

Local content and capacity

Developing local skills

Social investment

ENVIRONMENTAL  
STEWARDSHIP

Climate resilience

Ecosystems

RESPONSIBLE  
OPERATIONS

Safety and wellness

Responsible production

EQUALITY &  
TRANSPARENCY

Good governance

Promoting equality

40

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

SHARED PROSPERITY 
Our approach to shared prosperity concentrates 
on three core areas: optimising local content and 
developing supplier capacity; building local skills 
and developing people; and making socio-economic 
investments that deliver shared infrastructure and 
support local communities. This is underpinned by 
stakeholder engagement to ensure that we are 
aligned with national and regional priorities and 
that we establish a two-way dialogue with our 
stakeholders. We also focus on building capacity 
through educating and training local employees 
and suppliers, and supporting local communities 
to make their own choices about development.

Local content and capacity
We aim to create meaningful and enriching 
business opportunities in our countries of 
operation, improving livelihoods and community 
welfare by building the skills that will increase 
local business participation in the supply chain. 

In Ghana, in 2018, Tullow’s overall supplier spend 
was 14 per cent more than in 2017 due to increased 
capital expenditure related to Jubilee Full Field 
Development. Absolute spend with local suppliers 
in Ghana is 29 per cent of the total spend. Absolute 
spend as a proportion of total spend has continued 
to increase from 26 per cent in 2017 and 16 per cent 
in 2016. Meanwhile, our spend with international 
suppliers fell from 19 per cent in 2017 to 14 per cent 
in 2018. This partly reflects our continued efforts to 
direct spending towards local firms. 

In Kenya, in 2018, 37 per cent of Tullow’s overall 
supplier spend was with Kenyan businesses, up 
from 29 per cent in 2017, but with a lower absolute 
value due to reduced expenditure following the end 
of the drilling campaign in 2017 and the lull in 
activities ahead of the start of the Early Oil Pilot 
trucking activities. 

As the Kenya project is in the development phase 
we have continued to focus on capacity building in 
local companies. A total of 300 contractor personnel 
have received training, including in defensive driving 
and transportation of dangerous goods by road as 
part of the Early Oil Pilot Scheme. 

STRATEGIC REPORTDeveloping local skills
We support better education and skills development 
for our colleagues and communities, specifically 
in STEM to enhance employability. We also have 
programmes supporting women’s development 
in education and vocational training. One such 
example is the LVTC Scholarships, outlined in the 
case study below.

Social investment 
We invest in shared infrastructure and logistics 
such as water, energy or waste, by adapting and 

leveraging existing infrastructure plans and projects 
to benefit local communities. 

One example in Turkana, Kenya, is that Tullow, in collaboration 
with the National and County Government, has supported the 
setting up of local Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs) 
around the Amosing and Ngamia fields in Turkana. We have 
also supported capacity building of the WRUAs to effectively 
manage sustainable community water projects. Our support 
in providing water in Turkana has increased access to water 
for over 67,000 people which has helped reduce the risk 
of waterborne diseases and supported increased economic 
activity as less time is spent looking for water.

LVTC SCHOLARSHIPS: UPSKILLING IMPACTED COMMUNITIES
In Kenya, there is a large and growing young Turkana population who 
want to play their part in the growth of the oil and gas sector, as well 
as in the more general development of their county following devolution. 
Tullow’s support for the Lodwar Vocational Technical Centre (LVTC) 
in Turkana is helping them to do that by improving the availability 
and quality of technical and vocational education. 

This practical partnership provides training in mechanics, plumbing, 
masonry and joinery, as well as vocational courses in catering and 
garment making. In 2018, 52 students graduated from the Tullow-
funded scholarship scheme. Tullow has recently collaborated with 
the Kenya Commercial Bank Foundation to provide a further 120 
scholarships at LVTC. 

The LVTC partnership is aligned to the Government of Kenya’s job 
creation priority in its ‘Big Four’ economic plan. In the medium to 
long term the programme will increase the number of skilled Turkana 
who can participate in the ongoing development of their communities. 
The initiative also supports livelihood diversification. 

INVESTING IN QUALITY EDUCATION IN GHANA 
– SUPPORTING EDUCATIONAL 
INFRASTRUCTURE
A key component of Tullow’s investment strategy 
is to support the building of capacity through 
education and skills acquisition in STEM. In 
2018, Tullow committed $10 million to building 
school infrastructure for Senior High Schools 
(SHS) in Ghana over a period of five years, 
making an annual contribution of $2 million 
over this period. This project demonstrates 
Tullow’s shared prosperity philosophy and is 
aligned with the Government of Ghana’s objective 
to support the Sustainable Development Goal 
by providing free Senior High School education. 

The project aims to provide classrooms, 
dormitories and furniture in support of the 
Government of Ghana’s free SHS policy. The 
project will be implemented in partnership with 
the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education 
Service. Over five years the project aims to 
deliver at least 10 two-storey classroom blocks 
and 10 two-storey dormitory blocks and 
associated furniture across the country. 

School dropout rates across Ghana are 
~30 per cent (from basic to senior school) 
and this project aims to reduce that dropout 
rate at the sponsored schools by 15 per cent. 
It is also expected to raise the number of rural 
Junior High School graduates enrolling in 
Senior High School by 10 per cent. Ultimately 
the project will support girls’ education by 
benefiting almost 12,000 students in the first five 
years of the project. 

www.tullowoil.com

41

STRATEGIC REPORTSUSTAINABILITY CONTINUED

DEVELOPING PRODUCTION OPERATORS IN TURKANA
Amailo Investments, a Tullow-supported outsourcing firm 
that carries out recruitment in Lokichar, has worked with 
AlMansoori, a Tullow contractor in Lokichar that is building 
the upstream Early Oil Pilot Scheme (EOPS) production 
facility. Following a recruitment process, eight out of 58 
applicants from the local community were selected and 
placed with AlMansoori. 

The employees were on a two-month contract to work on 
the construction phase of the EOPS project to install and 
commission the Degassing and Early Production Facilities 
in Lokichar Basin. After the initial two-month contract 
through Amailo, AlMansoori was pleased with the progress 
the trainees made and hired them as full-time employees. 
AlMansoori also went ahead and hired more Kenyans to 
join its team.

Since March 2017 the trainees have undergone on-the-job 
training as production operators as well as specialised 
training in the UAE at refineries and sites where AlMansoori 
operates. Further training including sampling, well testing 
oil and oil production operations is also planned for this 
year. Nassir Sulaiman, the AlMansoori project supervisor 
in Kenya, said, “I enjoy working in Turkana as the local 
team are hardworking, responsible and friendly. 
As production starts at the Ngamia 3 well we want 
to prepare the team with adequate training.”

The production operator trainees are pleased that Tullow-
contracted companies are being encouraged to partner, 
train and work with locals. Jairus Lobuin, production 
operator trainee, said “We will soon have the ability 
to operate the facility because of the excellent training 
and experience we are receiving.”

42

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Climate resilience
In 2018, Tullow undertook a series of benchmarking 
exercises to assess and review its position regarding 
climate change. The results of this analysis have 
been communicated and discussed with the 
Executive Team, and we are now working on a set 
of plans that will continually improve both our 
operational performance and transparency in this 
area. In 2019, this will include operational reviews 
of sources of emissions and opportunities for 
reduction in our Ghana operations. At a Group level, 
we are reviewing our current process for the analysis 
of climate risks and resilience of investment 
decisions with a goal of making it more robust.

Tullow’s total Scope 1 emissions were 1.2 million 
tonnes of CO²e (2017: 1.6 million tonnes) and 
139 tonnes (2017: 185 tonnes) of CO²e per 
1,000 tonnes of hydrocarbon produced. The total 
air emissions decreased by 36 per cent from last 
year. This was mainly due to the TEN FPSO achieving 
steady-state operations post commissioning for a 
protracted period of time (second to third quarter). 
Emissions from Jubilee FPSO in 2018 compared 
to 2017 were not significantly different.

Ecosystems
Tullow continues to review and improve its 
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment 
(ESIA) work and uphold its stated commitment to 
not undertake operations in World Heritage Sites, 
in addition to robust screening of potential new 
projects against Protected Area Guidelines. During 
2018, our Kenya and Ghana operations continued 
to be assessed by independent monitoring groups 
and have again demonstrated adherence to the IFC 
Performance Standards and Tullow IMS Standards. 

CO₂e EMISSIONS PER 1,000 TONNES 
OF HYDROCARBON PRODUCED

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

261

1

1

1

99

98

123

121

1

141

185

139

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

 Scope 1 CO₂e 

 Scope 2 CO₂e

STRATEGIC REPORTRESPONSIBLE OPERATIONS

LOST TIME INJURY FREQUENCY (LTIF) RATES

Safety and wellness
We are committed to ensuring our colleagues and host 
communities are kept safe and well, and to raising awareness 
of potential dangers related to our operations and the locations 
where we operate. All of Tullow’s colleagues have access to 
private healthcare and we aim to achieve top quartile industry 
performance on our occupational safety measures. We also 
protect our colleagues and assets with robust emergency plans.

Providing a safe working environment for our employees 
and contractors is a core value and business priority and 
our performance on safety and sustainability is incentivised 
through our annual corporate scorecard. Our goal is to 
achieve top industry quartile safety performance, and during 
2018 we continued to improve our performance. We saw an 
overall decrease in the number of lost time injuries, total 
recordable injuries and high-potential incidents recorded 
across our operations. This performance improvement was 
achieved during a period of high activity, with the Turret 
Remediation Project, return to drilling in Ghana and the 
Early Oil Pilot Scheme in Kenya all increasing our potential 
exposure to accidents and incidents.

Our occupational health performance in the prevention 
of malaria cases for non-immune personnel continued 
to remain strong with zero malaria (serious) cases being 
recorded in 2018. The Company is committed to improving 
employee health, wellbeing and resilience in the workplace, 
and a new employee wellbeing and resilience programme 
was introduced in the latter part of 2018. This will be further 
rolled out globally in 2019 across the organisation.

Responsible production
Major accident hazards represent a material risk to Tullow. 
To address this, process safety management policies, standards 
and plans are applied to all drilling and production activities. 
They are incorporated in planning and decision making 
throughout the project life cycle, from concept selection, 
design and construction through to commissioning, 
operations, modifications and decommissioning. 

Following the 2017 audit of process safety management for 
the Jubilee and TEN facilities our approach to process safety 
was revised and updated in early 2018. A new Process Safety 
Management IMS Standard based on the Energy Institute’s 
Process Safety Management framework has been introduced 
for all Tullow operations. An improvement plan was produced 
for the Tullow Ghana operations and all Business Units will 
work to ensure compliance with this standard throughout 2019. 

In line with this standard, process safety management 
training has been carried out across most of the Company 
in 2018 including with the Executive Team, Group operations, 
wells and engineering personnel, and the Tullow Ghana 
leadership, operations and engineering personnel. The Kenya 
leadership and operations team will receive training in the 
first quarter of 2019.

Tullow recorded two International Association of Oil & Gas 
Producers (IOGP) Tier 2 events in the form of hydrocarbon 
liquid releases from the Jubilee facility. Both releases were 
contained and caused no secondary or escalation events 
and no injuries or environmental spills were recorded. 

LTIF per million 
man hours

1

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

 Tullow LTIF 

 OGP average LTIF 

0

2016

2017

2018

To continually improve our performance, Tullow also tracks 
Tier 3 IOGP events to raise awareness and address areas for 
improvement. These events are small releases from processes 
or identified challenges to safety systems. During the year, the 
number of events recorded was 58, an increase of 48 per cent 
on 2017. 

This increase in process safety events, we believe, is due 
to a positive, more diligent reporting culture and correct 
classification and investigation of incidents. A plan has been 
put in place, which includes our major contractors to improve 
process safety performance in 2019 with nominal and stretch 
target KPIs being set to measure the planned improvements. 

In 2018, Tullow created a Process Safety Management Steering 
Committee made up of senior leadership from Group Functions 
and Business Units, led by Gary Thompson, EVP for West Africa, 
and supported by the EHS Process Safety manager. The 
objective of the committee is to assure that risks associated 
with Process Safety are being adequately communicated, 
managed and mitigated across Tullow. 

Tullow’s approach to asset protection incorporates the 
traditional corporate security function, business continuity, 
and crisis and emergency management (CEM). Our policies, 
standards and plans in this area apply to all employees and 
contractors. They are designed to protect Tullow’s assets 
(people, physical and intellectual) and reputation from 
sources of potential and actual harm. They also ensure that 
we can rapidly adapt and respond in a resilient way to 
unforeseen events that could impact normal business 
operations and mitigate the impact on people, the 
environment, assets and our reputation. 

Agreed plans, procedures and resources are in place that 
cover all operational activities, ensuring that we are ready to 
respond to any major emergency. These plans are based on 
credible emergency scenarios identified during the ESIA 
process and/or the Business Unit/activity risk assessment, 
and follow the mandatory requirements of the Group 
Emergency Preparedness Standard. 

In 2018, we undertook a number of CEM preparedness exercises 
across the business. This increased awareness among 
members of the Crisis Management Team and in-country 
Incident Management Teams, and which generated useful 
feedback for further improvements to the CEM process.

www.tullowoil.com

43

STRATEGIC REPORTSUSTAINABILITY CONTINUED

EQUALITY & TRANSPARENCY

Good governance 
We will promote good governance through our commitment 
to the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, 
the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, and our zero 
tolerance of bribery and corruption.

Our payments to governments, including payments in kind, 
amounted to $432 million in 2018 (2017: $224 million). Total 
payments to all major stakeholder groups including employees, 
suppliers and communities, as well as governments, brought 
our total socio-economic contribution to $907.2 million (2017: 
$667 million). In addition to payments to governments, this 
included $283 million spent with local suppliers, $189.8 million 
in payroll globally and $4.4 million in discretionary spend on social 
projects. Our total payments made to the Ghanaian Government 
in 2018 amounted to $270 million (2017: $162 million). 

Payment to government 
(including payment  
in kind) – $432m

2018 TOTAL SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION

Global payroll – $189.8m

TOTAL  
ECONOMIC 
CONTRIBUTION
$M

47+

Social projects 
– $4.4m

Payment to local 
suppliers – $283m

Tullow supports the public disclosure of Production Sharing 
Agreements (PSA), but will only publish these with the express 
support and agreement of its government partners. This year, 
in addition to the PSAs for Ghana, we have also published 
Tullow’s Petroleum Agreements and other related agreements 
for the Orinduik and Kanuku licences at the request of the 
Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

Promoting equality
Strong community relationships are central to our success and 
whether we are discussing land access in Kenya or maintaining 
safe access to offshore installations we engage in dialogue 
with those affected by our work. Our Social Performance teams, 
in conjunction with our Operations teams, continue to update 
host communities and engage with them on a regular basis. 
At a corporate level in 2018 we strengthened our Grievance 
Mechanism and the tools we use to support and record 
engagements with communities across our businesses. 

In Kenya, the Tullow Social Performance and External Affairs 
functions and the Golder/EMC teams have been consulting 
with a range of stakeholders nationally and in Turkana since 
the start of the ESIA process. 

These stakeholder groups include: government representatives, 
non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations, 
faith-based organisations, local communities, academia and 
media stakeholders.

LOOKING AHEAD
For 2019, as part of our new sustainability strategy, Tullow is 
increasing its ambition on all aspects of this agenda and has 
introduced new KPIs to ensure momentum in the year ahead.

For local content, we intend to increase spend with local 
companies by more than 10 per cent proportionately from 
our base target, among other targets.

To strengthen our approach to stakeholder management, 
in Kenya we are targeting to negotiate an industry-leading 
Consent Agreement in Turkana by the end of 2019.

To progress our approach to environmental stewardship, we 
will implement a range of initiatives, from commissioning an 
independent verification of Tullow’s carbon strategy through 
to improving the environmental impact of Tullow offices 
through energy efficiency and waste management. Finally, we 
will develop a Biodiversity Plan to measurably improve our 
approach, ready for execution in 2020. We will also ensure 2D 
seismic in Côte d’Ivoire is conducted with a minimal footprint, 
seamless land access and minimal impact on the environment. 

For equality and transparency, we will launch a set of 
inclusion and diversity targets, with the support of Tullow 
leadership and the broader staff base. We intend to achieve 
positive progress by increasing both African and female 
representation at Senior Management levels.

For responsible operations, we intend to demonstrate 
improvement in monitored environmental metrics (including 
greenhouse gas emissions and flaring reduction) and increase 
the usage of less intrusive and more environmentally friendly 
technologies, such as drones, airborne surveys for integrity 
management and/or seismic surveying.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
As part of the work to develop our sustainability strategy, we have chosen to 
align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These 
contain 17 ambitious goals, agreed in 2015 by all 193 UN Member States, that 
aim to tackle the world’s most pressing social, economic, and environmental 
challenges and provide a common vision for sustainable development for 
business, governments and civil society. Through our research and analysis, 
we have chosen to focus on ten SDGs. This will help to provide additional 
focus to our work, give us insights into best practice, help us communicate 
our ambitions and provide a clear structure for our action in this area.

44

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STRATEGIC REPORT31
+
1
+
21
+
I
PROGRESSIVE ORGANISATION

A PROGRESSIVE ORGANISATION

Our 2030 Vision outlines how we will take a progressive and innovative 
approach to planning for and delivering our business activities, which 
includes developing organisational agility; using smart technology;  
and streamlining and improving our processes. 

ORGANISATIONAL STRATEGY

Efficient and effective organisation: ensuring our 
operating model supports the delivery of our strategy 
and supports a motivated and engaged workforce

Leadership succession: ensuring Tullow is led by 
strong, capable leadership teams with robust 
succession plans in place

Performance management: driving a high-
performing mindset, continuous improvement in 
how we work and linking performance to reward

Localisation: developing businesses with national 
leadership teams and globally developing national 
leadership capability

Inclusion and diversity: being an inclusive company 
with a diverse workforce, with strong host country 
and gender representation at senior levels

People development: developing our people and 
supporting their careers through business delivery

Tullow’s thinking on what it means to be a progressive 
organisation is evolving. Our initial priorities focus on three 
components: organisational agility, technology innovation and 
process improvement. Organisational agility refers to how we 
will allocate skills and expertise more fluidly with a focus on 
value creation. We are introducing more flexible work patterns 
allowing our people to more freely work from different locations 
or geographies, and more flexible working hours, regardless 
of the projects they are assigned to. This will deliver greater 
diversity of thought and contribution within every team. Technology 
is all pervasive and has the potential to create huge efficiencies, 
performance improvements and insights on a vast range of our 
activities at Tullow. More information about our initial thinking 
on this can be found in the Technology Innovation section on 
page 49. Finally, process improvement is an area where we 
have made great strides in recent years, for example in 
improving our Integrated Management System and reporting 
at a company and individual level to ensure our focus is 
delivering on our strategy and on value. A key focus of 
our 2019 scorecard KPIs related to ‘Progressive’ organisation 
is to develop more detailed thinking and plans to build on our 
initial progressive strategy for execution in 2020 in Tullow. 

This section highlights some areas of our organisational 
focus, such as our approach to inclusion and diversity, 
smart working and people development. We have more work 
to do to fully adopt a progressive approach in all aspects of 
our organisational strategy. Nevertheless, our organisational 
strategy outlined above has been delivering strong performance 
for the business over the last three years, and will continue to 
guide our strategic approach to Tullow’s organisation.

Employee engagement
During the year we carried out our biennial employee engagement 
survey, ‘Tullow Pulse’, and received a 90 per cent response 
rate from employees and contractors, the highest ever 
participation from an all-employee survey. 

The survey showed that we are making good progress in the 
key areas of improvement that were raised in the 2016 survey. 
In particular, there was positive feedback on the work on 
career and personal development, effective communication 
and Senior Management set-up and engagement. This has 
helped increase the overall levels of positive sentiment and 
satisfaction within Tullow.

The key findings from this year’s survey were:

 - a clear recognition of the Company’s focus and commitment 
to environmental, health and safety and the importance of 
environmental and social performance;

 - strong, positive feedback about people development but 
questions about employees’ potential to achieve longer-
term career goals within Tullow; 

 - recognition of the embedded improvements in financial 
governance, cost consciousness and financial discipline;

 - positive feedback about the changes in leadership, and a 

desire for more engagement with staff;

www.tullowoil.com

45

STRATEGIC REPORT 
People development
Tullow is committed to developing our people to ensure they 
have the right skills and experience to deliver our strategy 
and to ensure they have fulfilling roles and rewarding careers. 
Project LEAP, a dedicated project to improve our approach to 
career and personal development, continued into its second 
year in 2018. The project has helped: strengthen the link 
between development and business performance; encourage 
more agile ways of working; improve how development support 
is offered to staff; and supported the establishment of 
development communities. Tullow’s people development 
agenda includes a range of programmes (e.g. Senior Leaders 
Programme and Ghana Risers Programme). In 2018, many 
of our development opportunities have come through our 
People Forum initiative, a twice-yearly review of open roles 
and opportunities across the business, with a view to creating 
cross-functional moves and job placements, expanding 
people’s skills, experiences and career horizons. The 2018 
People Forums led to 20 cross-functional moves, ten external 
development assignments and numerous volunteer roles 
being created. Additionally, a new development portal was 
launched, which receives over 1,000 hits per month.

We are now undertaking further work to better understand 
the needs of Tullow’s business leaders and employees in 
order to support their ongoing career development and to 
deliver the Company’s 2030 Vision. This will inform our future 
learning and development strategy.

TOTAL WORKFORCE

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0

2,042

1,403

1,152

1,030

990

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

PROGRESSIVE ORGANISATION CONTINUED

 - consensus that communications and engagement had 

improved; and

 - recognition of the refreshed Tullow Values but concerns 

around trust and fear of speaking up still prevalent in some 
parts of our organisation.

The responses to the survey have been developed into action 
plans, which shall will delivered during 2019. 

We have continued to prioritise clear and effective communication 
across the Company. Regular news items are available to all 
employees through a relaunched intranet and regular town 
hall meetings led by Executives or Senior Managers. Over the 
past year we launched ‘Tullow in Focus’, a series of longer 
town hall sessions, that the Executive Team and Leaders led 
across all six of our key locations, providing Tullow people with 
an opportunity to review and debate our vision, strategy, 
performance and key activities. In addition to formal 
communications, the Executive and Senior leaders regularly 
meet a range of staff to communicate business news and to 
hear employees’ views and opinions. 

OUR VALUES
Having launched the refreshed Tullow Values in 
December 2017, we have made progress in 2018 
in the engagement and reinforcement of these Values.

VALUE
Focus on value creation 
through performance, 
delivery and accountability

INTEGRITY
Act with integrity 
and have respect for 
each other, and the 
communities and places 
where we work

INITIATIVE
Take initiative to find new 
and innovative ways to 
develop the business

COLLABORATION
Work collaboratively to 
leverage our collective 
talents and support 
the development of 
each other

46

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STRATEGIC REPORT 
 
Leadership and succession
The focus of 2018 was to review and refresh our succession 
plans for the Executive Team, which were reviewed by the 
Board’s Nominations Committee in June 2018. As well as 
identifying potential successors, independent assessments 
are undertaken to establish strengths and development needs, 
from which individual development plans are developed. 

Inclusion and diversity 
Tullow believes that an inclusive and diverse workforce is 
critical to maintaining a successful and sustainable business. 
The rich diversity, skills, abilities and creativity that people 
from differing backgrounds and experiences bring to the 
Company are highly-valued and we ensure that we provide 
a workplace where employees are treated fairly, equally 
and with respect. Our inclusion and diversity plan remains 
focused on increasing the diversity of nationalities and 
gender across the Company. 

We aim to have a nationality mix that is representative of 
the countries where our assets are located. In particular, 
we want to improve the numbers of Africans and women in 
leadership roles. We monitor and track progress against our 
aspirations and our data and analytics ensure we can track 
and drive further improvement. This work is led by an 
Executive sub-group and during 2018 it focused on:

 - raising awareness of Tullow’s inclusion and diversity plans 

across the Company; 

 - improving the percentage of African nationalities 

in senior leadership; 

 - improving our gender diversity in senior leadership and 

to address the gender pay gap; 

 - considering Tullow’s inclusion and diversity plans alongside 

our Employee Standards, HR procedures, employment 
legislation and industry best practice; 

 - reporting on inclusion and diversity performance; and 

 - initiating training for managers and holding internal workshops.

At the end of 2018 our workforce was made up of 893 employees 
and 97 contractors; 44 different nationalities work at Tullow, 
52 per cent are African nationals and 31 per cent are women. 
Our Executive Team is made up of six men and two women 
and our Senior Managers were 13 per cent African and 
21 per cent female. 

Dorothy Thompson, who is one of just seven female Chairs 
in the FTSE 250, took up the position of Tullow Board Chair in 
July 2018 and governs an otherwise all male Board comprised 
of four non-executive Directors and three Executive Directors 
(13 per cent female). The current lack of diversity stems from 
recent changes in the Board that we are seeking to address. 
Our target is to achieve 30 per cent female representation 
and 20 per cent African representation on the Board by 2020. 

GENDER DIVERSITY

1,200

1,000

800

600

400

200

0

Total male workforce
Total female workforce

Total number of male managers
Total number of female managers

Board diversity 

Executive diversity 

Senior Management 
diversity 

Workforce diversity

2016

18% 
(2/11)

0%
(0/4)

13% 
(9/68)

2017

11% 
(1/9)

25%
(2/8)

2018

13%
(1/8)

25%
(2/8)

15% 
(10/65)

21%
(14/68)

29%
(336/1,152)

30%
(313/1,030)

31%
(303/990)

We have been actively working to attract more diverse 
candidates when we recruit new employees. This included 
changing the way we advertise, checking that the language 
used is gender neutral and developing more robust interview 
processes (e.g. diverse panel interviews). In addition, we 
have worked to ensure our interview processes avoid any 
potential bias. 

Gender pay gap reporting
In 2017 the UK Government introduced the requirement for 
companies with over 250 employees to calculate and report their 
gender pay gaps for salary and bonuses. The gender pay gap 
is the difference between the average earnings of men and 
women, expressed relative to men’s earnings. Tullow is 
reporting this data for all our UK permanent employees 
to fulfil the requirements of the regulation.

2018 PAY AND BONUS GAPS

Women’s hourly rate

Women’s bonus pay

2017

44% 

49% 

2018

39%

46%

2017

53% 

52% 

2018

48%

48%

Lower (mean)

Lower (median)

www.tullowoil.com

47

STRATEGIC REPORT 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PROGRESSIVE ORGANISATION CONTINUED

Tullow’s UK workforce is 31 per cent female and only 21 per cent 
of managerial positions are filled by women and this gender 
imbalance continues to be the principal reason for Tullow’s 
gender pay gap. There is a national shortage of qualified and 
experienced women in technical roles in the oil and gas sector 
and this is reflected at Tullow with a higher proportion of men 
in the senior technical roles. Our gender pay gap has improved 
in the past year; however, we acknowledge there is more work 
to be done and we continue to focus on improving diversity, 
especially at senior levels. 

2018 PAY QUARTILES

Men

Women

2017

90% 

91% 

2018

90%

88%

2017

10% 

9% 

2018

10%

12%

65% 

62%

35% 

38%

Top quartile

Upper middle 
quartile

Lower middle 
quartile

Lower quartile

51% 

51%

49% 

49%

PERCENTAGE RECEIVED BONUS PAY

Men

Women

2017

95% 

2018

94%

2017

97% 

2018

97%

Reward
Tullow offers an attractive reward and benefits package to 
engage and motivate staff, drive the success of our business 
and attract new employees to the Company. Our reward 
package is performance-linked and consists of fixed and 
variable components including base salary, bonus, share 
awards, pension, life assurance and a range of other 
benefits. Through our bonus scheme, all employees have 
the opportunity to be shareholders in Tullow and all bonus 
structures include an element of corporate performance. 
This approach supports the engagement of the entire 
workforce with our Company vision and purpose.

Further information on our Executive remuneration can be 
found on page 93.

48

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

Localisation
As Africa’s leading independent oil company, localisation is 
fundamental to our strategy, commitment and brand. This is 
reinforced by the way we operate in Ghana and Kenya, where 
we look to develop and invest in local talent. This includes 
ensuring that if we employ an expatriate to cover a skills gap, 
that person then supports the business to develop transition 
plans to take on a local employee.  

LOCALISATION IN ACTION
Over the past three years, Tullow has seconded over 
50 colleagues from its African offices to its corporate 
offices in London and Dublin, giving secondees an 
opportunity to gain valuable skills and experience through 
work on key projects, which will ultimately enable them 
to succeed expatriates or grow their careers in our 
African offices. In 2018 we seconded 27 African 
colleagues to corporate offices.

In our Ghana business, in 2018 we promoted and hired 16 
Ghanaians into senior leadership positions and among our 
broader staff base, nine roles were localised. Notwithstanding 
this progress, we saw a 3 per cent decline in localisation 
over the year, from 67 per cent in 2017 to 64 per cent in 
2018. This was driven by an operational and business 
excellence programme, which involved some redundancies 
in our Ghana business. 

Looking ahead to 2019, we are targeting localisation rates 
of 71 per cent by the end of the year. In our Kenya business, 
which from a human resource perspective has remained 
static in advance of FID, one role was localised. Overall, 
there was a 1 per cent improvement in localisation in 
our Kenya business last year, from 78 per cent in 2017 
to 79 per cent in 2018. 

LOCALISATION RATES BY COUNTRY (%)

100

80

60

40

20

0

2015

2016
Ghana

2017

2018

  Kenya

Uganda

STRATEGIC REPORT 
 
 
 
 
 
SMART AND FLEXIBLE WORKING
Tullow launched a new smart and flexible working policy 
towards the end of 2018, which links directly to our desire 
to be a progressive organisation. As a result of offering 
employees more flexibility in their working hours and 
locations, we believe Tullow will be a more attractive place 
to work, reducing the carbon footprint from employee 
travel, and creating a more inclusive working environment. 
Colleagues will benefit from a greater work/life balance 
and avoid some of the stresses associated with daily 
commuting. This policy will be implemented globally 
in the first quarter of 2019.

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION
Tullow has a long track record of trialling and adopting the latest 
in IT capabilities. Over the years several teams within the 
Company have kept a careful eye on the evolving information 
technology horizon looking for opportunities to add additional 
value through the use of new tools and methods. Until recently, 
the proven use cases for tools such as artificial intelligence, 
machine learning and robotic process automation seemed 
relatively few and far between within our industry. But the 
relentless pace of evolution in cloud services, telecommunication 
speeds and raw computer power has created a step change 
in the speed of new, useful innovations being made available 
‘off the shelf’. Tullow has responded this year by formalising 
its approach through the creation of a corporate digital 
strategy team charged with developing and managing the 
realisation of a Company-wide digital roadmap.

The digital strategy team partners with business leads to 
look for scenarios where new digital tools have produced 
measurable value in situations directly analogous to Tullow’s 
operations and objectives. This provides a higher degree of 
certainty that the tools and new processes adopted will 
provide the actual promised value. This pragmatic approach 
is the primary guiding principle as we think about how 
to streamline and improve efficiency across our back-office 
capabilities in light of the increasing variety of digital tools 
available off the shelf.

Tullow’s approach to digital also recognises that its 
traditional commitment to innovate has repeatedly and 
successfully expressed itself through adoption of, and even 
the creation of, cutting-edge information management 
practices and tools. In areas of the business that directly 
create a competitive advantage for Tullow, the digital strategy 
team offers continued support for experimenting with 
digital solutions that have the potential to be transformative 
in our industry. Throughout 2018, Tullow Exploration and 

Dee Murray, Group Head of HR

Subsurface as well as Production Operations teams have 
been evaluating specific use cases for digital twins, 
predictive analytics and robotics for adoption in 2019.

These activities are all directly supportive of our commitment 
to being progressive. Not only does digital have the capability 
to further improve Tullow’s performance, but it also creates 
learning opportunities for staff in competencies that will 
be increasingly in demand both inside and outside our 
industry. This in turn allows Tullow to offer exciting 
opportunities to our JV Partners as they look to improve 
understanding and upskill their stakeholders in use of 
digital tools.

Angus McCoss, Exploration Director

www.tullowoil.com

49

STRATEGIC REPORTPROGRESSIVE ORGANISATION CONTINUED

SPEAKING UP

66

speaking
up cases

 Workplace compliance 

  Fraud 

  Supply chain 

 Corruption 

Speaking up cases 

37

11

10

8

66

We are committed to ensuring that the integrity of 
our Code of Ethical Conduct is not compromised, 
whether by staff or by those who work on our behalf. 
To this end, we have a speaking up process in place, 
comprised of internal channels to speak up to a 
manager or the Tullow Ethics and Compliance team, 
or via our external independent and confidential 
reporting process provided by Safecall. We prominently 
publish the speaking up details in our Code which 
is publicly available. In 2018, we recorded 66 
reports, of which 10 were submitted via Safecall. 
We investigated all reported possible or actual 
breaches of our Code, following which two 
members of our workforce left the Group or had 
their contracts terminated. As in previous years, 
we provide a breakdown in the speaking up graph 
above of such cases by category. 

This Strategic Report and the information referred 
to herein have been approved by the Board and 
signed on its behalf by:

Dorothy Thompson
Chair

Adam Holland
Company Secretary
12 February 2019

Ethical behaviour
Our Code of Ethical Conduct (‘the Code’) is at the 
core of our Ethics and Compliance programme 
which is designed to ensure that we conduct our 
business ethically and legally. We have zero tolerance 
for bribery, corruption and other financial crime. 
This is fully supported by Tullow management and 
the Board. In 2018, we updated the Code as part of 
our three-year review cycle for Board-level policy 
documents. As part of this review, we strengthened 
our Code to specifically cover new areas of governance 
that expect a clear commitment or position from 
the Company, including on lobbying and advocacy, 
prevention of the facilitation of tax evasion, 
anti-slavery and GDPR.

We require those who deliver services to us, or who 
act on our behalf, to act in a manner consistent 
with our Code in addition to the specific business 
ethics and compliance clauses we have in place in 
our agreements as well as other clauses that cover 
anti-slavery and compliance with sanctions and 
trade restrictions. These contractual clauses are 
designed to ensure that third parties connected to 
Tullow will not cause us to breach our own Code. 
Prior to contract award, we also conduct risk-based 
third-party due diligence to assess risks related to 
ownership structure, anti-bribery and corruption, 
sanctions and trade restrictions and human rights 
and labour conditions. In 2018, we provided further 
due diligence training to our supply chain teams 
and continued monitoring the execution of 
this process.

As in past years, we relaunched the annual 
e-learning on the Code to all staff. This year, we 
redesigned the module to connect the learning 
on specific areas of the Code (e.g. anti-bribery and 
corruption) with the Tullow Values (Value, Integrity, 
Collaboration and Initiative). Our Values, as well 
as our Code, are instrumental to driving the way 
we work and further build a culture of ethics and 
compliance. We also merged the e-learning with 
our annual Code certification process whereby 
staff are required to disclose how they complied 
with the Code of Ethical Conduct and the related 
standards and procedures in a given period 
(e.g. whether they filed all gifts and hospitality 
received). In 2018, the Code e-learning and annual 
Code certification were completed by 100 per cent 
of our people as well as all non-executive Directors. 
Les Wood, CFO and Board member with executive 
responsibility for ethics and compliance, signed off 
on behalf of Tullow Oil plc to confirm this process.

50

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STRATEGIC REPORT 
GOVERNANCE & RISK MANAGEMENT

WE PROACTIVELY MANAGE RISKS

At Tullow, risk management is an integral part of running the business and is 
fundamental to helping us achieve our strategic objectives. Our ability to identify, 
assess and successfully manage current and emerging risks is critical in securing 
the success of our business and protecting long-term shareholder value.

Risk governance
A culture of ethical behaviour aligned to our revised 
Values and a robust Integrated Management 
System (IMS) is core to how we run our business 
and how we approach corporate governance and 
risk management. Robust risk, assurance and 
performance management processes, incentivised 
by balanced key performance indicators (KPIs) 
in our Group scorecard, enable us to manage 
the opportunities and risks in all our activities 
and respond to the concerns of our stakeholders. 

The tone for risk management at Tullow is set by 
the Board, which worked with the Executive Team 
a number of times during the year to identify and 
assess its principal and enterprise risks. The Board 
has also set risk appetites for the principal risk 
categories and reviewed the Executive Team’s risk 
strategies to mitigate them. As part of that process, 
the Board identified which risks Tullow should not 
tolerate, which should be mitigated to an acceptable 
level and which should be accepted in order to deliver 
our business strategy. The risk appetites are in the 
process of being embedded into the Tullow IMS to 
ensure they are available to the whole organisation 
and can be used in development of all IMS policies 
and standards and in business decision making. 
Risks continue to be managed or monitored by 
Senior Management, with oversight by the Executive 
Team. The Board discusses selected principal risks 
and those risks that the Executive Team brings to its 
attention. The Board delegated the responsibility for 
oversight of the risk management process to the 
Audit Committee, which is supported by Group 
Internal Audit.

The Executive Team, Group Functional Heads 
and Business Delivery Teams are responsible 
and accountable for managing and monitoring 
the risks that fall under their remit. As illustrated 
overleaf, the organisation structure has a clear 
distinction between the corporate functions, which 
define risk management requirements in the IMS 
for their functional areas, and the business teams 
which are accountable for effective implementation 
of those requirements. 

Detailed discussions take place between all levels 
of the organisation to agree the most effective ways 
to mitigate the risks and to ensure there is a clear 
understanding of any compound and cumulative 
risks and where risks are interdependent requiring 
cross-business or cross-functional collaboration.

Risk management process
The Group works in collaboration with the business to 
undertake a bottom-up identification and assessment 
of the enterprise risks faced by Tullow. Enterprise 
risks can be a single risk, or a set of aggregated 
business risks which, taken together, are significant 
for the Group. This regular bottom-up process is 
supported by an annual top-down assessment that 
enables adequate risk information flow from the 
Business Units to Group Functions, Executives 
and the Board, and from the Board down to the 
Business Units. 

CATEGORIES OF PRINCIPAL RISKS

STRATEGY

CONDUCT

STAKEHOLDER

PRINCIPAL RISK 
CATEGORIES

ORGANISATION

EHS OR  
SECURITY

FINANCIAL

CYBER

www.tullowoil.com

51

STRATEGIC REPORTGOVERNANCE & RISK MANAGEMENT CONTINUED

RISK HIERARCHY

Board

 - Oversees identification, assessment and 

response to principal risks (annual planning)

 - Determines risk appetite

 - Monitors effectiveness of risk management 

process (delegated to Audit Committee)

Leadership

 - BU managers identify and assess 
their respective business delivery 
risks (at least annually)

 - Corporate Function Heads identify 

and assess their respective corporate 
risks (at least annually)

 - Monitor effectiveness of risk 

response (quarterly)

Executive Team

 - Identifies and assesses enterprise risks and 

principal risks

 - Monitors effectiveness of risk reduction actions 

for those risks

 - Holds quarterly dedicated meetings with focus 
on monitoring of all risks with a deep dive into 
selected key risks

 - Decides which enterprise risks, in addition to 

principal risks, require the Board to periodically 
review in detail

Principal  
risks

Enterprise risks

Business  
delivery risks

Corporate  
risks

Heads of Group Functions

 - Set standards for managing risks in 
their respective functional areas

 - Review business risks to seek 

assurance that key business risks 
have been identified and assessed

 - Ensure effective risk mitigation 

actions are planned

Risk management process continued
The Board now undertakes a semi-annual review and assessment 
of the enterprise risks facing the Company, including those 
principal risks that would threaten our business strategy, 
operating model, future performance, solvency and liquidity. 
These risks are grouped under the seven principal risk 
categories (see previous page) along with risk appetites 
by category, both determined by the Board. The Audit 
Committee provides oversight of the risk assurance 
process throughout the year. 

and mitigants. They also help them to consider what 
additional risk reduction actions may be needed to reduce 
the residual risk level to the risk appetite level set by the 
Board. Tullow recognises that risk cannot be completely 
eliminated and that there are certain risks the Board and/or 
Executive Team will decide are acceptable to enable the 
pursuit of particular business opportunities. These decisions 
are informed by a risk assessment and are made at an 
appropriate authority level and reflect the Group’s defined 
risk appetite. 

Enterprise risks are managed by risk owners, who are 
members of the Executive Team, Heads of Group Functions 
or Heads of Business Units. For each of the categories of 
principal risks, a dedicated member of the Executive Team 
has ownership and accountability for ensuring the risk is 
managed to the risk appetite levels set by the Board.

The risk registers, which are maintained at each layer of the 
organisation, continue to be the core component of our risk 
management process. Each of the key risks in the risk 
registers has an assigned risk owner who reviews them, at 
least on a quarterly basis, as part of the performance review 
process. Additionally, the Executive Team reviews and 
discusses principal risks on a quarterly basis and assures 
that mitigations are being effectively executed by the 
accountable person within the time frames agreed. 

The risk registers identify all key risks which are assessed 
at both an inherent and residual level, against two scales: 
a) their likelihood; and b) their potential consequence to the 
Group. The assessment of consequences includes safety, 
reputation, financial, legal and regulatory impacts. 

These risk assessments are designed to ensure a thorough 
assessment of the risks as well as the associated controls 

Integrated assurance process
Planned integrated assurance activities are determined on 
an annual basis, coordinated between the Business Units, 
Group Functions and Internal Audit to ensure that key risks 
facing the Company have an associated assurance activity. 
An annual integrated assurance planning workshop is run 
by Internal Audit and attended by members of the Executive 
Team and Heads of Group Functions and Business Units who 
collectively review and ensure the right level of assurance 
across the Group. Responsibility for assurance activities is 
clearly articulated at each of the four organisational tiers 
(see chart on page 53). Our risk management and assurance 
processes provide the Board with reasonable, but not absolute, 
assurance that the key risks we face as a Company are being 
effectively mitigated and that our assets and reputation 
are protected.

Tullow risk profile
In 2018, we managed to significantly reduce our financial 
and operational risk profile. We have further strengthened 
our balance sheet, reducing the gearing ratio from 2.6x to 
1.9x. To make that improvement sustainable, we have also 
maintained focus on our capital and operational cost discipline, 

52

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STRATEGIC REPORTwhich contributed to our improved cash flows, revenue, adjusted 
EBITDAX, asset value, debt capacity and liquidity. We have 
continued to receive insurance pay-outs from Business 
Interruption and Hull & Machinery insurance claims relating 
to the Jubilee turret failure. Having successfully delivered 
the Jubilee Turret Remediation Project, and having protected 
our balance sheet through systematic hedging and insurance 
programmes, we can now concentrate on financing our strategic 
growth objectives, reducing the risk of inadequate funding.

In managing operational risk we have focused on securing 
maximum value from current operations leading to a decision 
to exit from our mature assets that offer low returns and 
exploration assets with limited or no prospectivity. Regular 
assessments ensure that we have a portfolio that enables 
growth opportunities over the short to medium and long term. 
In Ghana, the Jubilee Turret Remediation Project has been 
successful despite unprecedented challenges. We have also 
redefined the operating model with MODEC, operator of our 
two FPSOs, to provide clearer accountabilities, and carried 
out an Operational and Business Excellence review to drive 
improved efficiency of our operations in Ghana. We also 
continued our strong focus on operational and asset integrity 
for our operated facilities. 

As in previous years, the volatile oil price added to uncertainty 
and we maintain a systematic hedging programme to protect 
our Group revenue while retaining substantial access to the 
potential upside. We closely observe the emerging supply/
demand shifts to alternative energy sources; we also monitor 
different opinions regarding the extent of the impact of that 
shift to the oil and gas industry. Oil price movements also 
affect the value that our large development projects in Kenya 
and Uganda are expected to deliver. We have progressed the 
farm-down of our Uganda assets; however, the transaction is 
still pending Government of Uganda approval. Once completed, 
the transaction will result in a reduction in exposure to major 
capex spend in Uganda. The Kenya South Lokichar project is 
also on target with FID planned for later in 2019, and we have 
a better understanding of the risks and opportunities that the 

project offers. While the start-up of the Early Oil Pilot Scheme 
created some tensions and community unrest as well as 
safety and security risks, we are working very closely with the 
government and local communities to minimise risks both to 
people and the project. 

The relatively low and volatile oil price has also had a global 
impact on host countries’ oil and related tax revenues and we 
observed emerging pressures on host governments to address 
their budget deficits with more aggressive and challenging tax 
assessments. However, our key production sharing contracts 
give us protection against additional claims as all of them 
contain stabilisation provisions, which we can invoke in order 
to protect the returns on our shareholders’ investments.

The geographical spread of our operations and nature of 
the industry we work in expose us to a wide range of health, 
safety, security and environmental risks and we aim to reduce 
the risk of major incidents in those areas to as low as 
practically possible. Fast-evolving cyber risk also poses a 
significant threat to our operations and assets but we have a 
robust response system in place. This cannot prevent attacks 
on our systems and infrastructure entirely but can reduce the 
risk of a major cyber event and its impact to a minimum. 

Other emerging risks such as the risk of the impact of climate 
change and related legislation and taxes on the oil and gas 
market, Brexit, GDPR or inclusion and diversity have also 
been considered and are being monitored; however, these 
have been assessed as being low in the short to medium term. 

The enterprise risks that the Board considered to have a 
significant enough impact during our planning horizon have 
been identified and categorised under one of the seven principal 
risk categories. We provide a summary of those risks below, 
but we are aware that other risks could emerge in the future 
and if these risks are not successfully managed our cash flow, 
operating results, financial position, business strategy and 
reputation could be materially adversely affected. However, 
we do have a robust risk management process in place to 
ensure such risks are identified and dealt with effectively.

TULLOW ASSURANCE MODEL

INDEPENDENT 
ASSURANCE

Internal Audit  

RISK 
OVERSIGHT

OWNERSHIP 
AND 
MANAGEMENT 
OF RISK

Heads of Group functions 

BU embedded functional leads 

Site-based functional staff

TIER 3

TIER 2

TIER 1

TIER 0

Board 
Audit Committee  
Sub-Committees

Executive Team

BDT EVP
BU manager
Group function heads

BU leadership

BU functional leads

www.tullowoil.com

53

STRATEGIC REPORT 
GOVERNANCE & RISK MANAGEMENT CONTINUED

STRATEGY RISK 

Link to KPI/scorecard – business development and growth

Risk of lack of balance between short and long-term investments, insufficient diversification of assets, the inability to manage the portfolio or 
grow the business during significant changes to market and industry conditions including evolving regulation and taxes related to climate 
change or caused by shift in oil demand resulting from substitution of hydrocarbons with renewable energy sources.

1. Risk of inability to make new significant oil discoveries and replenish exploration and subsurface portfolio 

Executive owner: Ian Cloke

Tullow has exciting high-impact exploration prospects and keeps refreshing and replenishing its exploration portfolio in Africa and South 
America. These opportunities may not be successful due to a lack of maturity of oil industries in new countries we enter or due to less well 
developed relationships with key stakeholders. Also, due to the nature of the exploration risk, Tullow’s exploration programme may not make the 
next significant oil discovery, inhibiting its growth and resulting in exploration write-offs. By taking this risk Tullow expects that over time the 
exploration programme should result in a significant success, which would be rewarding to shareholders.

Potential causes

Potential impact

Risk mitigation and assurance

2018 outcomes and ongoing actions

 - Exploration drilling is based 
on seismic data, which can 
only approximate geological 
structures and their 
characteristics.

 - Oil industry may lack maturity 
in new countries where Tullow 
invests, or relationships with 
key stakeholders may be less 
well developed.

 - Failure to access new acreage.

 - High-grading of 

 - The Cormorant-1 wildcat in 

 - Unsuccessful exploration.

 - Inability to grow the business.

 - Capital write-offs.

exploration portfolio.

 - Disciplined capital 
allocation model.

 - Risk-sharing with Joint 

Venture Partners.

Namibia was unsuccessful. The 
cost was mitigated by a farmout 
and excellent execution.

 - Geophysical Operations were 

conducted safely and to budget 
in Africa and South America.

 - Risk sharing was actioned 

in Suriname, Côte d’Ivoire and 
Jamaica.

 - New acreage was added in 
Côte d’Ivoire, Suriname and 
the Comoros.

2. Risk of failure to deliver commercially attractive and timely Kenya development 

Executive owner: Mark MacFarlane

Tullow has progressed the Project past the select/define stage that precedes the Final Investment Decision (FID). The Early Oil Pilot Scheme and 
the appraisal programme have significantly reduced the risk to the Project in subsurface and non-technical areas. However, several 
uncertainties still remain which, if not addressed, may result in the Project being less economically attractive in a sustained low oil price market.

Potential causes

Potential impact

Risk mitigation and assurance

2018 outcomes and ongoing actions

 - Oil price may be lower than 

 -  Development of the Project 

 -  Fully operational Early Oil 

 -  Phase 1 of upstream and 

required for FID.

may get delayed.

 - Reservoir complexity may 

 -  Capex/Opex may be higher 

impact planned production 
volumes.

than anticipated.

 -  EHS/security risks.

 -  Access to land and delivery of 
infrastructure may be delayed 
due to lack of national or 
community support.

 - Changes to legislation 

and regulations leading to 
commercial uncertainties.

 -  Unplanned shut-downs 

of operations.

 -  Erosion of value.

 -  National and international 

reputational harm.

Pilot Scheme has sufficiently 
defined reservoir performance 
and effectiveness of operations.

midstream FEEDs completed, 
with Phase 2 FEEDs due 
in 2019.

 - Stage gate reviews and capital 

 - ESIAs to be submitted to the 

discipline.

Government.

 - Focused and significant 
community, National 
and County Government 
engagement.

 -  Environmental and Social 
Impact Assessments 
completed.

 - Plan agreed with Government 
of Kenya for their delivery 
of commercial framework 
agreements, upstream and 
midstream land titles and 
water supply.

3. Risk of failure to deliver commercially attractive and timely Uganda Development 

Executive owner: Mark MacFarlane

Tullow has reached an agreement with JV Partners to farm down its interest in Uganda and the transaction is pending Government of Uganda 
approval and agreement on tax treatment of the transaction. The Uganda Project provides an opportunity to contribute significant cash flow to 
Tullow; however, prolonged discussions between JV Partners, Government of Uganda and other key stakeholders may cause the transaction 
to be further delayed and the Project to stall reducing the anticipated value and cash contribution of the Project. 

Potential causes

Potential impact

Risk mitigation and assurance

2018 outcomes and ongoing actions

 -  Misaligned expectations 

between Tullow, Government 
and key stakeholders.

 - Lack of funding for 

 -  Completion of the farm-down 
transaction and development 
of the Project may get 
delayed.

infrastructure development.

 - Capex may be higher than 

 -  Community unrest and 

asset security.

planned.

 - Ongoing engagements with the 
Government to reach alignment 
on Capital Gains Tax.

 -  Partner workshops to 

reach alignment on key FID 
milestones and prerequisites.

 - Project being driven by a 

 - Defined transition plan in 

Supermajor, for which Uganda 
is a priority project.

place to re-align roles of JV 
Partners after farm-down. 

 -  National and international 

 - JV Partner collaboration to 

reputational harm.

 -  Loss of licence to operate.

define appropriate upstream 
and midstream commercial 
structure.

 - Regular joint project reviews 
to monitor project progress.

 - FID Management Committee 
to be established comprising 
Government of Uganda and 
Joint Venture personnel, to 
oversee pathway to FID.

54

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STRATEGIC REPORT 
STAKEHOLDER RISK 

Link to KPI/scorecard – safe, sustainable and efficient operations, business development and growth

Risk of loss or damage to relationships with host governments, JV Partners, investors or other stakeholders, jeopardising our ability to 
conduct business.

4. Risk of disruption to business due to political/regulatory influence in Ghana  

Executive owner: Gary Thompson

Tullow invested material amounts of capital in Jubilee and TEN assets in Ghana and continues to invest in the ongoing operations and new 
growth. The value of those investments may be eroded by the fiscal interventions by the Government or changes in regulatory environment.

Potential causes

Potential impact

Risk mitigation and assurance

2018 outcomes and ongoing actions

 -  Increase in fiscal asks by the 
Government amidst reduced 
contribution of oil revenue.

 -  Regulatory and tax change 
affect profitability and lead 
to value erosion.

 -  Not meeting expectations of 
national content/localisation 
by the Government.

 - Changes to Ghana’s 

legislation and oil and gas 
regulation post award of 
Petroleum Agreements.

 -  Significant fines and penalties 
leading to reputational harm. 

 -  Disputes with Government 
of Ghana leading to civil or 
criminal prosecution.

 -  Stabilisation clauses in all 
Petroleum Agreements.

 -  Non-technical risk standard 
sets minimum stakeholder 
management requirements.

 -  Engagement with Petroleum 

 -  Proactive stakeholder 

engagement and 
management.

 -  Joint working group 
established with key 
stakeholders.

Commission to align on 
localisation and local 
content expectations.

 - Regular engagement with 
Government on new oil 
industry legislation. 

5. Risk of disruption to business due to community and political influence in Kenya 

 Executive owner: Mark MacFarlane

Kenya development, as an onshore project, attracts greater economic and social interest from local communities and county governments. 
Expectations from stakeholders may continue to grow, which may lead to development delays or operational disruption if expectations are not met. 

Potential causes

Potential impact

Risk mitigation and assurance

2018 outcomes and ongoing actions

 - Increasing activism due 
to lack of community 
understanding of the project’s 
social and economic impact.

 - Misalignment between 

Government and counties.

 - Legacy community 

marginalisation issues.

 - Key development decisions 

delayed.

 -  Community Outreach 
Programme in place.

 - Operational disruption and 

unplanned costs. 

 -  Local Content and Capacity 
Building Framework issued.

 - Reputational harm.

 - Turkana Grievance 

 - Loss of licence to operate.

Management Committee and 
Inter-Ministerial Management 
Committee established 
and operational.

 - Focused communications 

 -  Completion of IFC compliant 
ESIA(s) and implementation 
of Environmental and Social 
Management Systems controls. 

 - Lessons from Early Oil Pilot 

Scheme incorporated into full 
field development risk analysis.

 -  Agreement on strategic 
partnerships and shared 
infrastructure. 

strategy operational to ensure 
stakeholders are informed 
about the project and 
its benefits.

 - Dedicated team to ensure 
the Tullow Value of Shared 
Prosperity is fully integrated 
across the business.

EHS OR SECURITY RISK 

Link to KPI/scorecard – safe, sustainable and efficient operations

Risk of any incident resulting in fatalities and/or extensive damage to facilities, the environment, or communities in which Tullow operates. 

6. Risk of major process safety or EHS failure in Ghana 

Executive owner: Gary Thompson

Given Tullow’s offshore Jubilee and TEN operatorship, this risk, due to its nature, cannot be entirely eliminated or transferred. However, its 
likelihood has been reduced to as low as reasonably possible (ALARP) and major steps are undertaken to ensure Tullow maintains an excellent 
EHS track record.

Potential causes

Potential impact

Risk mitigation and assurance

2018 outcomes and ongoing actions

 -  Inadequate maintenance of 
safety-critical equipment on 
board Jubilee/TEN FPSOs.

 - Fatalities, serious 

environmental or asset 
damage.

 -  Independently verified safety 
cases to demonstrate risks 
reduced to ALARP.

 - Ineffective EHS procedures, 
competence of personnel or 
lack of training.

 -  Inadequate contractor 
selection and quality 
assurance.

 -  Significant financial loss, 

 - Asset and well integrity 

operational disruption and 
reputational harm.

maintenance with regular 
assurance over FPSO systems 
and asset integrity.

 - Comprehensive all-risk 

insurance.

 - Jubilee Safety Case reissued.

 -  Jubilee FPSO shut down for 

maintenance and inspections.

 - Planning for TEN FPSO 2019 
shut down for maintenance 
and inspections.

 - Comprehensive assurance over 
Computerised Maintenance 
Management System.

 -  Jubilee commenced a 10-month 
Asset Integrity Programme. 

 -  Re-aligned responsibilities 

and accountabilities over FPSO 
operatorship with MODEC.

www.tullowoil.com

55

STRATEGIC REPORT 
GOVERNANCE & RISK MANAGEMENT CONTINUED

CYBER RISK 

 Link to KPI/scorecard – safe, sustainable and efficient operations

Risk of a serious cyber-attack, which could involve the loss of confidentiality, integrity and/or availability of business information and/or 
disruption to our operations and industrial control systems.

7. Risk of major cyber or information security incident 

Executive owner: Angus McCoss

External cyber-attacks resulting in network compromise, network or Industrial Control System disruption and/or internal theft/loss of confidential 
information is an ongoing risk and continuously evolving. Tullow takes a range of layered steps to keep ahead of the threat, centralising its security 
operations through an Advanced Security Operations Centre, delivery of an ongoing security programme and by working with specialist consultancies 
and government.

Potential causes

Potential impact

Risk mitigation and assurance

2018 outcomes and ongoing actions

 -  External cyber-attack 
resulting in network 
compromise or disruptive 
impact to Industrial Control 
Systems.

 -  Deliberate or accidental 

theft or loss of confidential 
information.

 -  Disruption to business.

 -  Loss of intellectual property 

and competitiveness.

 -  Reputation damage to JV or 
Government relationship.

 -  Advanced Security Operations 
Centre in place and live threat 
monitoring.

 -  Joint Tullow/MODEC Offshore 

Control Systems Cyber 
Security Steerco established.

 - Advanced network security 

detection and data encryption.

 - Security awareness 

programme.

 -  Assurance programme 

using specialist third-party 
providers.

 -  Operational and offshore 
Cyber Security Standard 
approved by Tullow and MODEC.

 -  Tullow staff susceptibility to 
phishing regularly tested.

FINANCIAL RISK 

 Link to KPI/scorecard – strategic financing

Risk of erosion of financial strength and value, through revenue deterioration and inadequate liquidity/funding due to adverse oil price 
movements, poor capital and cost discipline and poor balance sheet management.  

8. Insufficient liquidity and funding capacity 

Executive owner: Les Wood

Tullow has reset its operations to be viable in a low oil price environment and currently operates at sufficient levels of liquidity and capital to 
fund its operations and budgeted growth plans. However, the Company is still exposed to erosion of its balance sheet and revenues due to the oil 
price volatility and may be exposed to unexpected costs resulting from operational incidents.

Potential causes

Potential impact

Risk mitigation and assurance

2018 outcomes and ongoing actions

 -  Oil price volatility due to 
global supply/demand 
imbalances reducing 
revenues and value of 
underlying assets.

 -  Unplanned outages in 

hydrocarbon production.

 -  Significant damage or loss of 
asset beyond ordinary wear 
and tear.

 -  Reduced revenue, cash flows, 
EBITDA, asset value and debt 
capacity.

 -  Insufficient funds to support 
investment programme.

 -  Multi-year oil hedge 

 - 2018 year-end facility 

programme with access to 
upside, approved by the Board 
annually.

 - Comprehensive insurance 
package including property 
damage, business 
interruption and well control 
incident risk.

headroom and free cash 
of $1 billion; net debt of 
$3.1 billion; net debt/
EBITDAX 1.9x.

 -  Approx. 60 per cent of 2019 
oil entitlement hedged at 
an average floor price of 
$56.24/bbl at YE2018.

56

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STRATEGIC REPORT 
ORGANISATION RISK  

 Link to KPI/scorecard – organisation

Risk of poor business performance or failing to deliver the Tullow long-term vision and strategy resulting in an unsustainable workforce lacking 
diversity and balance, ineffective operating structure, and/or fragmented organisational culture.

9. Risk of failure to have a sustainable, balanced, diverse workforce and attractive employee proposition  

Executive owner: Claire Hawkings

Tullow’s success depends on the quality of talent it can attract and retain, a strong ethically minded and performance-focused culture and clear 
organisation model, which enables the delivery of Tullow’s strategy. Tullow may be unable to maintain or improve operational performance and 
pursue growth if the Company is unable to maintain, evolve and sustain its organisational capabilities.

Potential causes

Potential impact

Risk mitigation and assurance

2018 outcomes and ongoing actions

 - Tullow culture and Values not 
embedded in the organisation.

 - Loss of core skills and 

 - Diversity and localisation 

capabilities. 

localisation and diversity 
objectives set and monitored.

 - Enhanced career and 
personal development 
planning.

 - Increased staff turnover.

 -  Succession planning, 

plans not effectively 
implemented.

 - Ineffective career 
development.

 - Ineffective total reward.

CONDUCT RISK 

 - Failure to deliver localisation 

and succession plans.

 - Reputational harm. 

 - Regular engagement surveys.

 - Smart and flexible working 

 - Regular review of talent 
and people development 
opportunities.

arrangements.

 - Diversity targets approved, 
to be introduced in 2019.

 - Salary review considering 
gender and equal pay.

 Link to KPI/scorecard – organisation

Risk of a major breach of Tullow Values, Tullow Code of Ethical Conduct, petroleum agreements or major laws and regulations with a potential to 
seriously damage Tullow’s reputation or result in criminal prosecution, severe fines or material unexpected costs.

10.  Risk of major breach of business conduct standards or non-compliance with major contracts  

or legal/regulatory obligations 

Executive owner: Les Wood

Tullow operates in high-risk geographies on the Transparency International Corruption Index map. Tullow maintains high ethical standards across 
our business, without which the Company could be exposed to increased risk of non-compliance with bribery and corruption legislation and 
associated prosecutions and fines. Tullow, due to the nature of its activities, is also exposed, albeit to a much lesser extent, to other compliance risks.

Potential causes

Potential impact

Risk mitigation and assurance

2018 outcomes and ongoing actions

 -  Poor leadership behaviour 

 -  Unethical behaviours or 

and lack of understanding of 
ethics and compliance risks 
in key business areas.

breach of anti-corruption 
laws leading to prosecutions 
and fines.

 -  Organisation culture may not 

support ‘speaking up’.

 - Failure to adequately 

respond to non-compliance 
allegations.

 -  Breach of a major contract 
with a host government 
and JV Partners leading 
to disputes, claims and 
unplanned costs.

 -  Reputational harm.

 - Code of Ethical Conduct and  
adequate procedures in place.

 -  Code of Ethical Conduct 

updated for anti-tax evasion.

 - Third-party due diligence 

procedures.

 -  Annual certification by all staff 
of compliance with the Code 
of Ethical Conduct.

 - Confidential speak up line 

available to all staff.

 -  Tullow Values actively rolled 
out by the Executive Team.

 - Recorded and investigated 

66 speak up cases.

 -  Continued local fraud 
awareness training.

www.tullowoil.com

57

STRATEGIC REPORTGOVERNANCE & RISK MANAGEMENT CONTINUED

VIABILITY STATEMENT
In accordance with provision C.2.2 of the 2016 revision 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. 
The Board assesses the business over a number of time horizons for different reasons, including the following:

i.  Annual Corporate Budget (i.e. 2019).

ii.  Two-year Forecast (i.e. 2019–2020).

iii. 

 Five-year Corporate Business Plan (CBP) (i.e. 2019–2023).

iv. 

 Life-of-field plan – a high-level view of each of the BDTs and produced to enable capital allocation to projects, to optimise 
the portfolio of assets held by Tullow and to produce an internal view of the value of the Company.

The Board conducted the review for the purposes of the Viability Statement over a five-year period in line with the Corporate 
Business Plan. This is greater than the three-year period previously reviewed. The five-year period was selected for the 
following reasons: 

i. 

ii. 

 the Group considers the Group’s facility and free cash headroom, debt to equity mix, and other financial ratios, over a 
five-year period in the CBP;

 the current contractual maturity of the Group’s RBL facility would be fully amortised by 2024; as such the five-year plan 
is largely aligned with Tullow’s funding cycle; and

iii. 

 both East African projects will have achieved First Oil by 2022 which means the assessment period contains all material 
requiring capital investment which will in turn significantly enhance the Group’s ability to generate free cash flow.

Based on these factors, the Board consider that a five-year assessment period appropriately reflects the underlying prospects 
and viability of the Group, and the period over which the principal risks are reviewed. Notwithstanding this fact the Group will 
continue to monitor the business over all time horizons noted above.

In order to make an assessment of the Group’s viability, the Board has made a detailed assessment of the Group’s principal 
risks, and the potential implications these risks would have on the Group’s liquidity and its business model over the assessment 
period. This assessment included, where appropriate, detailed cash flow analysis, and the Board also considered a number of 
reasonably plausible downside scenarios, and combinations thereof, together with associated supporting analysis provided by 
the Group’s finance team. A summary of the key assumptions, aligned to the Group’s principal risks, and reasonably plausible 
downside scenarios can be found below. It should be noted that some assumptions cover multiple risks but have not been 
repeated to avoid unnecessary duplication.

Principal risks*

Base assumption

Downside scenario

Strategy risks

 - P50/mean production and capex profiles

 - 10 per cent reduction in production

 - Kenya and Uganda First Oil 2022

 - Non-completion of East Africa farm-down activity

 - Completion of Uganda farm-down in the first half 

of 2019

Stakeholder risks

 - Inclusion of financial exposure of all known risks 

 - Inclusion of financial exposure of all known risks 

assessed as ‘probable’ of occurrence

assessed as ‘possible’ of occurrence

EHS or security risks

 - n/a

 - A loss of production event on Jubilee and timing 

impact of coverage by insurance

Financial risks

 - Two-year forward curve, then $70/bbl oil price

 - $50/bbl oil price

 - Contractual debt maturity profile of RBL and 

 - Repayment of convertible bonds at maturity (2021)

2022 bonds (i.e. no refinancing)

 - Conversion of convertible bonds

 - Payment of $100 million dividend p.a.

*  For detailed information on risk mitigation, assurance and progress in 2018, refer to pages 56 and 57. For the organisational, conduct and cyber Group risks, 

no reasonably plausible financial exposure has been modelled.

Under such downside scenarios the Board has considered mitigating factors which the Group already has in place, such as 
hedging and insurance, and additional mitigating actions that are available to the Group, such as active debt financing management, 
additional funding options, further rationalisation of our cost base, including cuts to discretionary capital expenditure and dividends, 
and portfolio management. Based on the results of the analysis the Board of Directors has a reasonable expectation that the 
Company will be able to continue in operation and meet its liabilities as they fall due over the five-year period of their assessment.

58

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STRATEGIC REPORTMichelle Boit is the Senior 
Project Engineer and technical 
lead on the Early Oil Pilot 
Scheme (EOPS) in Kenya. The 
project involves the transfer of 
stored crude oil from Turkana to 
Mombasa by road. Once EOPS is 
fully operational the trucks will 
be transporting up to 2,000 bopd.  

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Board of Directors 

Directors’ report 

Stakeholder engagement  

Audit Committee report 

Nominations Committee report  

EHS Committee report 

Remuneration report 

Other statutory information 

60

62

68

70

77

80

83

102

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EFFECTIVE & ENTREPRENEURIAL 
LEADERSHIP
The Board provides strategic oversight and cultural stewardship 
of the Company to promote its long-term sustainable success, 
and has a particular responsibility for maintaining effective risk 
management and internal control systems.

1. DOROTHY THOMPSON 
CHAIR

  N   E

2. PAUL McDADE 
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Age: 58
Tenure: 10 months

Appointment: 2018
Independent: Yes

Age: 55
Tenure: 12 years

Appointment: 2006
Independent: No

Key strengths
Corporate finance, accounting and audit, business 
development, risk management, executive leadership, 
public company governance and leadership, investor 
relations, technology and innovation.

Experience
Dorothy brings extensive leadership and governance 
experience to Tullow developed over a 35-year 
career in international business. Dorothy most 
recently spent 12 years as Chief Executive Officer for 
Drax Group plc, the international power and energy 
trading company. Before joining Drax, Dorothy was 
vice president of the global independent power 
generation company InterGen Services Inc, 
managing its European business. Dorothy previously 
worked for PowerGen plc as head of project finance 
having started her career in development banking 
with the Commonwealth Development Corporation 
and the National Development Bank of Botswana, 
roles that Dorothy gained significant experience in 
emerging markets in Africa. In addition, Dorothy 
spent nine years as a non-executive director of 
Johnson Matthey, a multinational specialist in the 
supply and innovation of sustainable technologies 
in the chemical industry, where she served on the 
Audit, Remuneration and Nominations Committees. 
Dorothy holds BSc (Hons) and MSc degrees in 
Economics from the London School of Economics 
and Political Science and was appointed a 
Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 
2013 for services to the UK electricity industry. 

Current external roles
Dorothy is currently a non-executive director 
of Eaton Corporation plc, an international power 
management company, where she serves on the 
Audit and Finance Committees. In addition, Dorothy 
is a director of the Court of the Bank of England, 
where she chairs the Audit & Risk Committee, 
is the Senior Independent Director and serves on 
the Nominations Committee. 

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP KEY

 Committee Chair

A  Audit Committee

N  Nominations Committee

E  EHS Committee

R  Remuneration Committee

Key strengths
Upstream business, executive leadership, investor 
and government relations, environment, health, 
safety and sustainability.

Experience
Paul, a petroleum engineer, joined Tullow in 2001 
having gained operational, commercial and 
management experience in the North Sea, Latin 
America, Africa and Southeast Asia with established 
exploration and production companies Conoco Inc. 
and LASMO. Paul has been instrumental in the 
growth of Tullow, participating in the transformational 
acquisitions of North Sea gas assets from BP in 
2002 and the West Africa oil assets from Energy 
Africa in 2004. Paul was appointed Chief Operating 
Officer of Tullow in 2006, a position he held until 
2017, when he was appointed Chief Executive 
Officer. Paul holds a BSc in Civil Engineering from 
Strathclyde University and an MSc in Petroleum 
Engineering from Imperial College, London.

Current external roles
None. 

3. LES WOOD  
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Age: 56
Tenure: 20 months

Appointment: 2017
Independent: No

Key strengths
Upstream business, corporate finance, 
accounting and audit, business development, 
risk management, executive leadership, 
investor and government relations.

Experience
Les brings considerable financial and commercial 
expertise to Tullow, including major M&A delivery, 
joining in 2014 as Vice President Commercial & 
Finance after a 28-year career at BP plc. Les held a 
number of senior roles including Chief Financial 
Officer for BP Canada and BP Middle East as well 
as Global Head of Business Development. After 
joining Tullow, Les has been instrumental in driving 
a new performance culture and cost discipline as well 
as improving the balance sheet to position the 
business for growth. Les holds a BSc (Hons) 
in Chemistry from Herriot Watt University, 
Edinburgh, and an MSc in Inorganic Chemistry 
from Aberdeen University.

Current external roles
None.

60

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

4. ANGUS McCOSS 
EXPLORATION DIRECTOR

E

Age: 57
Tenure: 12 years

Appointment: 2006
Independent: No

Key strengths
Upstream business, exploration and appraisal 
executive leadership, public company leadership, 
investor and government relations, environment, 
health, safety and sustainability, technology 
and innovation.

Experience
Angus brings substantial experience in the upstream 
oil and gas business to Tullow, gained through a 
21-year career in exploration at Royal Dutch Shell. 
Angus held senior roles in exploration and 
subsurface covering a wide geography across 
Africa, South America, the Middle East and China 
including general manager exploration, Nigeria 
and regional vice president exploration for the 
Americas. After joining Tullow in 2006, Angus 
headed up the exploration leadership team that 
discovered significant resources for Tullow in Ghana, 
Uganda and Kenya. Angus holds a BSc (Hons) 
Geology from Dundee University and a PhD in 
Structural Geology from Queens University, Belfast. 

Current external roles
Angus is currently senior independent non-executive 
director of Providence Resources plc, an Irish oil 
and gas exploration company. Angus also serves 
on the advisory board of the Energy and Geoscience 
Institute, University of Utah, which conducts 
scientific research projects for the global 
energy industry. 

5. JEREMY WILSON 
SENIOR INDEPENDENT 
NON‑EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

A   N   R

Age: 54
Tenure: 5 years

Appointment: 2013
Independent: Yes

Key strengths
Corporate finance, accounting and audit, business 
development, M&A, risk management, executive 
leadership, public company governance and 
leadership and investor relations.

Experience
Jeremy brings extensive strategic and corporate 
finance experience to Tullow developed over a 
30-year business career. Most recently Jeremy 
spent 26 years at the investment bank JP Morgan 
where he held a number of senior executive 
roles including head of European mergers and 
acquisitions, co-head of global natural resources 
& diversified industrials and latterly vice chair of 
the bank’s energy group. Jeremy holds an MSc 
in Engineering from Cambridge University. 

Current external roles
Jeremy is currently a non-executive director of 
John Wood Group plc, an international engineering 
company providing project and technical services 
to the energy industry, where he serves on the 
Audit and Nominations Committees and chairs the 
Remuneration Committee. Jeremy is also a co-founder 
and chair of the Lakeland Climbing Centre.

GOVERNANCE3

2

1

4

7

5

6

8

6. TUTU AGYARE 
NON‑EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

A   R

7. STEVE LUCAS 
NON‑EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

A   N

8. MIKE DALY 
NON‑EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

R   E  

Age: 56
Tenure: 8 years

Appointment: 2010
Independent: Yes

Age: 64
Tenure: 6 years

Appointment: 2012
Independent: Yes

Age: 65
Tenure: 4 years

Appointment: 2014
Independent: Yes

Key strengths
Corporate finance, audit and accounting, business 
development, risk management and investor 
and government relations.

Key strengths
Upstream business, corporate finance, accounting 
and audit, risk management, executive and public 
company leadership and investor relations.

Key strengths
Upstream business, exploration, executive and public 
company leadership, technology and innovation, 
environment, health, safety and sustainability.

Experience
Tutu brings a wealth of financial and investment 
experience to Tullow from a 30-year career in 
proprietary trading, investment banking, derivatives 
trading, business and asset management. After 
starting his career at O’Connor & Company Securities 
on the trading floor of the London Stock Exchange, 
Tutu spent 21 years at UBS, most recently as head 
of emerging markets in Europe, Africa and the 
Middle East. Tutu also served on the board of directors. 
In 2007, he founded Nubuke Investment LLP, an 
investment and advisory business focused solely on 
Africa. Tutu has also served as a senior adviser to 
Power Africa, a division of USAid, the United States 
Government’s international development agency. 
He was co-chair of the African Acquisition Committee 
at the Tate Modern Museum, London, and is director 
and founder of the Nubuke Foundation, a Ghanaian 
cultural, arts and educational institution. Tutu holds 
a BSc in Mathematics and Computing from the 
University of Ghana (Legon), Accra.

Current external roles
Managing partner and chief investment officer 
of Nubuke Investment LLP and director and 
founder of the Nubuke Foundation. 

Experience
Steve brings significant financial and leadership 
experience in the energy and extractive industries 
to Tullow after a 40-year business career. Steve, 
a chartered accountant, most recently spent eight 
years as finance director of National Grid plc. 
Previously, he held senior financial positions during 
an 11-year career at Royal Dutch Shell and six 
years at BG Group plc, latterly as group treasurer. 
During this time Steve has also held non-executive 
directorships at the American oil and gas drilling 
company Transocean Ltd, the Compass Group plc 
and the Indian energy and power company 
Essar Energy. Steve holds a BA in Geology 
from Oxford University.

Current external roles
Steve is currently a non-executive director of 
Acacia Mining plc where he serves on the Audit, 
Remuneration and Nominations Committees. 
In addition, Steve is also chairman of mining 
company Ferrexpo plc where he chairs the 
Nominations Committee.

Experience
Mike brings significant upstream experience to Tullow 
from a 40-year career in the oil and gas business. 
Mike spent 28 years at BP plc where he held a 
number of senior executive and functional roles 
within the exploration and production division 
across Europe, South America, the Middle East and 
Asia, including eight years as head of exploration 
and new business development. He also served 
on BP’s executive team as executive vice president 
exploration, accountable for the leadership of BP’s 
access, exploration. Mike was a member of the 
World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council 
on the Arctic and was on the board of the British 
Geological Survey. He remains a visiting Professor 
at the Department of Earth Sciences at Oxford 
University. He holds a BSc in Geology from Aberystwyth 
University and a PhD in Geology from Leeds University. 
Mike is also a graduate of the Program for 
Management Development, Harvard Business 
School, and in 2014 was awarded The Geological 
Society of London’s Petroleum Group Medal.

Current external roles
Non-executive director of Compagnie Générale de 
Géophysique, a global provider of geoscience and 
geophysical services to the oil and gas industry, 
where he is chair of the Health, Safety, Environment 
and Sustainable Development Committee.

TENURE (YRS)

AGE DISTRIBUTION (YRS)

GENDER DIVERSITY (%)

NATIONALITY (%)

INDEPENDENCE (%)

6.0 
average  
tenure

I38+
75+

57 
average  
age

 0–5 

 50s 

3

 5–10 

 10–15 

 60s 

3

2

6

2

13% 
female 

13+

 Female 

13% 
Ghanaian

13+
I 63+

63% 
independent

 Independent 

 Ghanaian 

13

13

63

 Male 

87

 British 

87

 Non-independent 

37

www.tullowoil.com

61

GOVERNANCE 
 
 
 
 
87
+
37
+
I
25
+
38
+
24
+
I
87
+
I
DIRECTORS’ REPORT

APPLYING THE 
UK CORPORATE 
GOVERNANCE CODE

Introduction
As a UK listed company, Tullow Oil plc’s governance 
policies and procedures are based on the principles 
and supporting provisions of the Financial Reporting 
Council’s (FRC) UK Corporate Governance Code. 
This Directors’ Report summarises how the Company 
has complied in full with the April 2016 version of 
the Code during the year ended 31 December 2018, 
namely: leadership, effectiveness, accountability, 
remuneration and shareholder relations. In July 2018 
the FRC published a revision to the Code which 
will apply to reporting periods beginning on or 
after 1 January 2019. Copies of the 2016 and 
2018 versions of the Code are available via the 
FRC’s website: www.frc.org.uk

The Company remains compliant with the Financial 
Conduct Authority’s Listing Rule 9.8.6 and Disclosure 
Guidance and Transparency Rule 7.2.1. Related 
information can be found in the Directors’ Report 
on pages 62 to 67. The Group has complied with 
sections 414CA and 414CB as well as 414C of the 
Companies Act 2006 following the introduction of 
the Companies, Partnerships and Groups (Accounts 
and Non-Financial Reporting) Regulations 2016. 
Relevant information can be found throughout the 
Strategic Report and Governance section of this 
Annual Report. 

Leadership
Role of the Board
The Board is accountable to shareholders for the 
creation and delivery of strong, sustainable financial 
performance and long-term shareholder value. 
It meets these aims through setting the Group’s 
strategy and ensuring that the necessary resources 
are available to achieve the agreed strategic goals. 
The Board also sets the Company’s key policies 
and reviews management and financial performance. 
The Board operates through a framework of controls, 
and these clear procedures, lines of responsibility 
and delegated authorities allow risk to be assessed 
and managed effectively. These are underpinned 
by the Board’s work to set the Group’s core Values 
and standards of business conduct and ensure that 
these, together with the Group’s obligations to 
its stakeholders, are widely understood across 
all its activities.

The Board has delegated some of its responsibilities 
to four Committees, the Audit Committee, the EHS 
Committee, the Nominations Committee and the 

Remuneration Committee. The Board is satisfied 
that the Committees have sufficient resources to 
carry out their duties effectively. Their terms of 
reference are reviewed and approved annually by 
the Board and the respective Committee Chairs 
report on their activities at the next Board meeting. 
Details of Committee membership, roles and their 
work during 2018 are set out later in this report. 

In addition to delegating certain matters to Board 
Committees, the Board has also delegated certain 
operational and management matters to the 
Executive Directors. In line with the guidance 
issued by the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and 
Administrators (ICSA), the Board approved formal 
terms of reference for the Executive Directors’ 
Committee in December 2014 and most recently 
reviewed and reaffirmed these terms of reference 
in December 2018.

Division of responsibilities
The Chair is primarily responsible for the effective 
working of the Board, whilst the Chief Executive 
Officer is responsible for the operational management 
of the business, for developing strategy in consultation 
with the Board and for implementation of the strategy. 
This separation of responsibilities is clearly defined 
and agreed by the Board. The Chair leads the 
Board, setting the agenda and ensuring that the 
meetings provide adequate time for discussion.

The non-executive Directors have a broad range of 
business and commercial experience. They provide 
independent and constructive challenge to the 
Executive Team and monitor the performance of the 
Executive Team in delivering the agreed objectives 
and targets. The Board considers each of the 
non-executive Directors to be independent in 
character and judgement. One of the non-executive 
Directors has been selected by the Board to be the 
Senior Independent Director. The Board is fully 
satisfied that Jeremy Wilson demonstrates 
complete independence and robustness of 
character and judgement in his capacity as Senior 
Independent Director. The Senior Independent 
Director is available to meet shareholders if they 
have concerns that cannot be resolved through 
discussion with the Chair, the Chief Executive 
Officer or the Chief Financial Officer or for matters 
where such contact would be inappropriate. During 
the year, the Senior Independent Director met with 
the other non-executive Directors without the Chair 
to discuss the Chair’s performance. 

62

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

GOVERNANCEThe relationship between the Board, the Board Committees and the Executive Team and their delegated responsibilities are 
summarised in the following diagram: 

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair, Executive Directors, Senior Independent Director and non-executive Directors
The Board operates under the leadership of the Chair and is collectively responsible for setting the Company’s strategy to 
deliver long-term value to shareholders and other stakeholders. The Board ensures the appropriate resources, leadership 
and effective controls are in place to deliver the strategy. The Board also sets out the Company’s culture and Values, 
monitors business performance and provides risk management. The Board delegates some of its responsibilities to Board 
Sub-Committees. The Board is accountable for the stewardship of the Company’s business to the shareholders.

AUDIT  
COMMITTEE
Responsible for financial 
reporting, audit, internal 
control and risk 
management.

NOMINATIONS 
COMMITTEE
Responsible for Board 
composition, appointment 
of Directors and 
succession planning.

EHS  
COMMITTEE
Responsible for health, 
occupational and process 
safety, environment and 
security management.

REMUNERATION 
COMMITTEE*
Responsible for reward 
and compensation for 
Executive Directors and 
the Chair and reviewing 
the remuneration 
arrangements for the 
Executive Team 
and employees.

EXECUTIVE TEAM

Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Exploration Director and five Executive Vice Presidents
The Executive Team operates under the leadership of the Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for delivery and execution 
of the Board’s strategy as well as the day-to-day management of the Company’s business and operational performance. 
The Executive Team is accountable to the Board.

* Since 1 January 2019, the Remuneration Committee is now responsible for setting the remuneration for the Executive Team.

Board discussions
The Board and its Committees deal with its core 
activities in planned meetings throughout the 
year. Matters which require decisions outside 
the scheduled meetings are dealt with through 
additional ad hoc meetings and conference calls. 
The Chair, the Senior Independent Director and the 
Chief Executive Officer maintain frequent contact 
with the other Directors in addition to the regular 
Board meetings. This ensures that all members of 
the Board have an opportunity to discuss any issues 
of concern and to be fully briefed on the Group’s 
operations. During 2018, the Board held six scheduled 
meetings with the following in attendance:

Director

Tutu Agyare

Mike Daly

Steve Lucas

Angus McCoss

Paul McDade

Dorothy Thompson

Jeremy Wilson

Les Wood

Anne Drinkwater*

Aidan Heavey*

Attendance

5/6

6/6

5/6

6/6

6/6

4/4

6/6

6/6

2/2

4/4

* Directors who were no longer Directors of the Company as 

at 31 December 2018.

www.tullowoil.com

63

GOVERNANCEDIRECTORS’ REPORT CONTINUED

Leadership continued
At the end of every scheduled Board meeting, the 
Chair holds a discussion with the non-executive 
Directors without the Executive Directors. These 
are supplemented by informal meetings between 
the Chair, the Chief Executive Officer and the 
non-executive Directors. The non-executive 
Directors receive regular briefings on the more 
technical and operational aspects of the Group’s 
activities and matters of major strategic significance. 
These include major projects, for example the 
Jubilee Turret Remediation Project (TRP) and 
the Kenya Early Oil Pilot Scheme (EOPS) but 
also include matters such as material litigation. 
The Board is of the view that no individual or 
group of individuals dominates decision making.

A programme of strategy presentations covering 
a wide number of operational and other issues is 
made to the Board in June each year and, in 2018, 
the Board discussed in depth the Company’s capital 
allocation framework and long-term strategy 
for growth. During the year, the Board received 
presentations from each of the Business Delivery 
Team leaders and reviewed and approved the 
Company’s strategy for each of its Business Delivery 
Teams. In conjunction with the Audit Committee, 
and with input from the Executive Team, the Board 
also reviewed in detail the risks facing the Company, 
the Company’s appetite for those risks and the 
Enterprise Risk Management System (ERMS) 
to monitor and mitigate those risks.

The Board normally holds one Board meeting at a 
principal overseas office of the Group. These meetings 
ensure that the Board has a clear knowledge of 
the Company’s overseas operations and engages 
with the Group’s various stakeholders. During the 
visit, additional time is made for members of the 
Executive Team and Senior Management from across 
the Group to present to the Board on matters of 
particular strategic relevance, in-depth operational 
matters and matters relating to non-technical 
risks. In addition, opportunities are made for the 
Board to interact both formally and socially with 
a broad cross section of the workforce. In 2018 
this overseas Board meeting was held in October, 
at the Group’s regional office in Accra, Ghana.

The Board has a formal schedule of matters 
reserved that can only be decided by the Board. 
This schedule is reviewed and approved by the 
Board each year. In 2018 the Board approved a 
number of changes to simplify and clarify the 
schedule. The schedule is available on our website 
and the key matters reserved include the following:

 - the Company’s purpose, strategy and Values, 

and ensuring that each of these and the culture 
of the Company and its Group are aligned;

 - key structure and capital considerations;

 - Financial Statements and dividend policy;

64

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

BOARD TIME (%)

35+

  Strategy  

 Financial management and capital allocation 

  Safety, Sustainability & External Affairs (SSEA) 

  Development & Operations (D&O) 

  Exploration & Appraisal (E&A) 

  Governance  

 Risk management 

 Succession planning 

35

25

9

8

5

7

8

3

 - significant changes in accounting policies or 
practices (supported by the Audit Committee);

 - approval of treasury strategy, including financing 

and hedging strategies;

 - material contracts and commitments, including 
capital projects with a $100 million value or 
above and acquisitions and disposals with a 
$50 million value or above;

 - entry into new countries;

 - risk management, including emerging risks 

and internal controls (supported by the 
Audit Committee);

 - succession planning and appointments 

(supported by the Nominations Committee);

 - the Group’s corporate governance and 

compliance arrangements; and

 - key corporate policies.

During 2018 the Board considered all relevant 
matters within its remit aligned with the schedule 
of matters reserved for the Board. Particular 
additional matters considered were:

 - long-term sustainable strategy and capital 

allocation including capital structure and capital 
management;

 - finance and treasury, including hedging 

strategy and gearing;

 - risk assessment and mitigation and 

non-technical risks in major areas of operation;

 - options for growth, including exploration;

 - stakeholder identification and engagement;

 - portfolio management;

GOVERNANCE25
+
9
+
8
+
5
+
7
+
8
+
3
+
I
 - governance and compliance, including the 

new Corporate Governance Code;

 - assurance, risk and internal audit;

 - diversity and inclusion at Board level and 

throughout the Group;

 - process for evaluation entry into new 

countries; and

 - succession planning for Board members 

and Senior Management.

Board effectiveness
Composition
At the year end on 31 December 2018, the Board 
consisted of five independent non-executive 
Directors and three Executive Directors comprising: 
the independent non-executive Chair, four independent 
non-executive Directors, the Chief-Executive Officer, 
the Chief Financial Officer and the Exploration 
Director. During the year, there were a number of 
Board changes. In April, Anne Drinkwater stepped 
down from the Board with effect from the conclusion 
of the AGM, whereupon Dorothy Thompson was 
appointed as Chair-Designate. In July, Aidan Heavey 
then stepped down as Chair and retired from the 
Board and Dorothy Thompson was appointed as 
Chair. The Directors believe that the Board and 
its Committees currently consist of Directors 
with an appropriate balance of skills, experience, 
independence and diversity of background to 
enable them to discharge their duties and 
responsibilities effectively.

Appointments to the Board
The Nominations Committee reviews the structure, 
size and composition of the Board and makes 
recommendations to the Board about any changes 
required. During 2018, Dorothy Thompson was 
appointed to the Chair of the Board with the departure 
of Aidan Heavey. As part of the appointments process, 
candidates disclose any other significant time 
commitments they may have and are required 
to inform the Board of any subsequent changes 
to such commitments. 

Commitment
All Directors have disclosed their other significant 
commitments and confirmed that they have 
sufficient time to discharge their duties effectively.

Development and training
All new Directors receive an induction programme 
when they join the Board. This reflects their 
background, experience and knowledge and their 
understanding of the upstream oil industry and 
Tullow in particular. The programme includes 
one-to-one meetings with Senior Management. 

Functional and Business Unit heads and, where 
appropriate, visits to the Group’s principal offices 
and operations. New Directors also receive an 
overview of their duties, corporate governance 
policies and Board processes. Dorothy Thompson 
received a comprehensive introduction to Tullow 
after she joined in April 2018, which included an 
introductory field course in petroleum geology, 
an offshore safety induction course, visits to our 
overseas offices in Ghana (including a visit to the 
Jubilee FPSO), Kenya, Ireland and South Africa, 
as well as meetings with government officials and 
major shareholders.

All members of the Board have access to appropriate 
professional development courses to support them 
in meeting their obligations and duties. During 
the year, Directors attended external seminars on 
relevant topics relating to the business. They also 
receive ongoing briefings on current developments, 
including updates on governance and regulatory 
issues. In April 2018, the Company Secretary 
arranged a Directors’ training day which covered 
a variety of different topics including culture, 
diversity and inclusion, mergers and acquisitions, 
developments in corporate governance and 
accounting policies.

Information and support
Directors have access to independent professional 
advice at the Company’s expense, on any matter 
relating to their responsibilities. The Company 
Secretary is Adam Holland. He is responsible for 
ensuring compliance with all Board procedures 
and for providing advice to Directors when required. 
The Company Secretary provides company secretarial 
services to the Board and the Group. He acts as 
secretary to the Audit, Nominations, EHS and 
Remuneration Committees and has direct access 
to the Chairs of these Committees.

Evaluation
Tullow conducted an extensive Board evaluation in 
2017, the results of which were detailed in the 2017 
Annual Report and Accounts and which informed 
the development of the Board’s objectives for 2018. 
The appointment of Dorothy Thompson as Chair 
addressed a significant finding of the 2017 evaluation. 
As part of her induction and familiarisation with 
the Board, Dorothy Thompson undertook an 
out-of-cycle evaluation focused on future Board 
structure, taking into account the long-term 
strategy of the Company and the risks to it. This 
addressed the majority of the succession-related 
issues identified in the 2017 performance 
evaluation, culminating in the search for further 
non-executive Directors. Further details can be 
found in the report of the Nominations Committee 
on page 77 to 79 later in this report. 

www.tullowoil.com

65

GOVERNANCEDIRECTORS’ REPORT CONTINUED

Board effectiveness continued
Evaluation continued
In addition, in 2018 the Board undertook an 
internal evaluation of its own performance and 
effectiveness and also that of its Committees. 
The evaluation was planned with Lintstock Ltd, 
which has no other connection with the Company, 
and was coordinated by the Chair of the Nominations 
Committee and the Company Secretary. Each of 
the Directors was required to submit responses to 
a series of questionnaires to reflect on themes 
identified from the previous year’s exercise including:

 - the Board’s composition; 

 - diversity and skills; 

 - board dynamics; 

 - management of meetings; 

 - Board support and Committees; 

 - focus of meetings; 

 - strategic and operational oversight; 

 - risk management and internal control; 

 - human resource management; and

 - priorities for change. 

The anonymity of all respondents was ensured 
throughout the process in order to promote the 
open and frank exchange of views. The Company 
Secretary subsequently produced a report which 
concluded that the Board was satisfied with its 
own collective performance and effectiveness, the 
performance and effectiveness of each individual 
Director, and also that of its Committees. The 
evaluation noted particular improvements to the 
Board’s focus on and testing of Company strategy, 
governance within the Group and meeting processes. 

The Company remains confident that the Board 
has the experience and track record to meet the 
Company’s aims of delivering both its immediate 
and long-term strategic objectives. The Board sets 
its specific future objectives at its offsite strategy 
session in June each year and they reflect the 
focus of the Company in the year ahead. Progress 
against each objective is tracked by the Company 
Secretary and reviewed with the Chair and the 
Board periodically. 

Re-election
Executive and non-executive Directors are initially 
appointed for a term of three years. All Directors 
seek re-election every year. The Board will set out 
in the Notice of Annual General Meeting its 
reasons for supporting the re-election or election 
of each of the Directors at the forthcoming Annual 
General Meeting.

66

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

Accountability
Financial and business reporting
This report provides shareholders with a clear 
assessment of the Group’s financial position and 
prospects supplemented, as required, by other 
periodic financial and trading statements. The 
Board’s arrangements for the application of risk 
management and internal control principles are 
detailed below. 

Risk management and internal control
The Directors acknowledge their responsibility for 
the Group’s systems of internal control which are 
designed to safeguard the assets of the Group and 
to ensure the reliability of financial information for 
both internal use and external publication and to 
comply with the requirements of the UK Corporate 
Governance Code. Overall control is ensured by a 
regular detailed reporting system covering both 
technical progress of projects and the state of the 
Group’s financial affairs. 

The Board has put in place procedures for identifying, 
evaluating and managing principal risks that face 
the Group. Principal risks are regularly reported 
to the Board. Tullow recognises that any system of 
internal control can provide only reasonable, and 
not absolute, assurance that material financial 
irregularities will be detected or that the risk of 
failure to achieve business objectives is eliminated. 
However, the Board’s objective is to ensure that 
Tullow has appropriate systems in place for the 
identification and management of risks, including 
emerging risks. In accordance with the requirements 
of the UK Corporate Governance Code, the Board is 
required to monitor the Company’s risk management 
and internal control systems and, at least annually, 
carry out a review of their effectiveness, and report 
on that review in the Annual Report. At Tullow, the 
Board has delegated responsibility for this assessment 
to the Audit Committee and results of the assessment 
are described in the Audit Committee’s report later 
in this document.

Audit Committee and auditor
The Board has delegated oversight of the 
relationship with the Group’s external auditor to 
the Audit Committee and is outlined in the Audit 
Committee Report later in this report. 

Remuneration
The Board has delegated responsibility for agreeing 
the remuneration policy for the Chair and the 
Executive Directors to the Remuneration Committee. 
The level and components of the Directors’ 
remuneration, and the procedures by which it 
is established, are outlined in the Remuneration 
Committee’s Report later in this report.

GOVERNANCEShareholder relations
Engagement and dialogue
Tullow is committed to regular dialogue with its 
shareholders and the wider investment community. 
During 2018 the Investor Relations team and Executive 
Team have maintained open and transparent dialogue 
with the Company’s shareholders. Ongoing 
communication has been through regulatory 
announcements, regular meetings, presentations, 
investor conferences and ad hoc events. Over the 
year, the Investor Relations team and Executive 
Team met with approximately 300 institutions 
comprising 70 per cent of the share register and a 
large number of potential new investors. Targeted 
roadshows, conferences and investor meetings 
were conducted in England, Scotland, Ireland, 
East and West Coast USA, Switzerland, Scandinavia, 
Ghana, the Middle East and South Africa.

In November 2018, the Company hosted a Capital 
Markets Day in London at which presentations 
were given by the Executive Team to provide detail 
into the Group’s strategy and key areas of operations. 
A webcast of the event and the materials presented 
are available to view on our website. Engagement 
with our debt investors is now well integrated into 
our annual investor relations programme and the 
Executive, Group Finance and Investor Relations 
teams have regular dialogue with bond investors 
through a number of high-yield conferences and 
one-on-one meetings throughout the year. 

In 2018 the Investor Relations team commissioned 
a follow-up investor perception study to track progress 
against areas that were identified as requiring 
improvement in the results of an original survey 
commissioned in 2017. Interviews were conducted 
with 18 buy-side investors and the results showed 
an overall improvement in sentiment and recognition 
of the progress management had made in the 
period. The results were presented and discussed 
in detail with the Board at its strategy offsite in 
June and the feedback continues to inform the 
content and style of our messaging to the market.

In addition, upon her appointment as Chair-Designate, 
Dorothy Thompson wrote to the Company’s major 
shareholders and offered them the opportunity to 
meet in person and discuss any matters relating 
to the Company. She subsequently met a number 
of portfolio managers and governance teams from 
our institutional investors and was joined in those 
meetings by the Company Secretary. Throughout 
the year, institutional shareholders are offered 
the opportunity to meet the Chair or the Senior 
Independent Director to discuss any issues and 
concerns in relation to the Group’s governance and 
strategy. Non-executive Directors are also available 
to attend such meetings with major shareholders 
if requested to do so.

Tullow conducted a series of meetings with socially 
responsible investors when requested, to discuss 
topics including health and safety, the environment, 

country and political risk and other operational 
matters. These meetings are generally hosted by 
our Executive Vice President of Safety, Operations, 
Engineering & External Affairs and the Investor 
Relations team. During 2018, Tullow also hosted 
meetings with institutional investors to discuss its 
plans for improving diversity and inclusion at Board 
level and throughout the organisation. These meetings 
were hosted by our Chair, our Executive Vice 
President for Organisation Strategy & Company 
Performance and the Company Secretary.

Tullow’s seventh Ghana Investor Forum took place 
in Accra in May 2018. The event gave key institutional 
and retail shareholders the chance to hear 
presentations and question the Executive Directors 
and Senior Managers from the Ghana Business 
Unit. In addition to that event, Tullow also hosted 
specific meetings at its offices in Accra with some 
of Ghana’s major institutional investors to provide 
them the opportunity to further engage with 
members of the Tullow team.

We ensure shareholders can access details of the 
Group’s results, and other news releases, through 
the London Stock Exchange’s Regulatory News 
Service and on releases made to the Irish and Ghana 
stock exchanges. In addition, these news releases 
are published on the media section of the Group’s 
website: www.tullowoil.com. Shareholders and other 
interested parties can subscribe to email news 
updates by registering on the website. The Group 
continually looks for ways to improve how we use 
online channels to communicate with our 
stakeholders through our corporate website, 
webcasting and social media. Another important 
way we keep shareholders informed is through 
regular formal reporting and Tullow’s Annual Reports 
are available on the corporate website. 

Constructive use of general meetings
At the Annual General Meeting, held on 25 April 2018, 
shareholders received presentations setting out 
the key developments in the business and put 
questions to the former Chair, the Chair of the 
Nominations and Remuneration Committees and 
other members of the Board. A poll was used to 
vote for all resolutions at the 2018 Annual General 
Meeting, and the final results, which included all 
votes cast for and against and those withheld, were 
announced via the London Stock Exchange and on 
the Company’s corporate website. Notice of the 
Annual General Meeting is sent to shareholders 
at least 20 working days before the meeting.

On behalf of the Board

Dorothy Thompson
Chair

12 February 2019

www.tullowoil.com

67

GOVERNANCESTAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT 

ENGAGING WITH  
OUR STAKEHOLDERS

To deliver the Company’s long-term strategy, the Board 
understands the need to build and maintain successful 
relationships with the Company’s stakeholders. This is achieved 
through accurately identifying the Company’s stakeholders 
and ensuring effective engagement with them. A key role 
of the Board is to directly engage with our stakeholders 
and understand their views, so they can be considered 
during the Board’s decision making. 

The Company has multiple stakeholders across its operations 
but has identified its current key stakeholders into three groups: 
our investors; our host countries; and our people. Below are 
examples of how the members of the Board have directly 
engaged with these stakeholders during 2018. Engagements 
are undertaken by individual Directors, including non-executive 
Directors, and also by the Board as a whole. Feedback from 
these engagements is regularly communicated to the Board 
and taken into account during Board discussions. 

OUR KEY STAKEHOLDERS

HOW THE BOARD ENGAGED

OUR INVESTORS 

S

VEST O R
R IN

U
O

OUR H

O

S

T 

C

O

U

N

T

R

I

E

S

OUR HOST COUNTRIES 

S

VEST O R
R IN

U
O

OUR H

O

S

T 

C

O

U

N

T

R

I

E

S

OUR PEOPLE

S

VEST O R
R IN

U
O

OUR H

O

S

T 

C

O

U

N

T

R

I

E

S

 - Senior Independent Director sought input 

 - Executive Directors met with equity 

from major investors during Chair 
succession process

investors and debt investors throughout 
the year

 - Chair-Designate wrote to and met with 

 - Chair met with major investors to discuss 

major investors following her appointment

plans for diversity and inclusion

 - Annual General Meeting in London offices

 - Chair of Audit Committee sought input from 

 - Ghana shareholder meeting in Accra

 - Ghana institutional investor meeting in Accra

 - Board received results of independent 
investor feedback survey at its annual 
strategy session 

major shareholders on external audit 
tender process

 - Capital Markets Day in London

 - Board hosted a Ghana stakeholder event 

 - Directors visited community events and 

in Accra 

 - Chair met with Presidents, Ambassadors 
and key officials of certain host countries 
during her induction

 - Directors met with ministers and key 
government officials during the year 

projects in areas of operations

 - Directors attended Africa Oil Week in 

South Africa and hosted a stakeholder event

 - Chair arranged multiple one-to-one 

meetings across the employee group during 
the year

 - Directors travelled to our office locations 

to present and engage in ‘Tullow in 
Focus’ events 

 - CEO presented town hall events which 

include open Q&A throughout the year at 
different locations 

 - Board hosted informal evening event for all 
staff when visiting Accra office in Ghana

 - Chair visited our offices and engaged with 
staff in Nairobi, Accra, Dublin, Cape Town 
and London and at our operational sites 
in Turkana and Takoradi

 - Board hosted dinners for Functional Heads

 - Board attended deep-dive sessions with 

employees working on matters of strategic 
significance, for example the TRP

 - EHS Committee members visited both the 
TEN and Jubilee FPSOs and met with staff 
and key contractors

 - Executive Directors host ‘Meet the 

Exec’ breakfasts with staff 

68

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

GOVERNANCEOUR INVESTORS

OUR PEOPLE

2018 GHANA INVESTOR FORUM 
In May 2018, the CEO and Chair-Designate joined the 
Ghana senior leadership team at the Ghana Investor Forum 
held at the Holiday Inn in Accra. The Company is listed on 
the Ghana Stock Exchange and understands that many of 
its Ghanaian shareholders are not able to travel to London 
for the Company’s formal Annual General Meeting in April. 
Therefore we hold the Ghana Investor Forum in May to 
engage with our Ghanaian shareholders and answer 
questions they may have. The feedback received by the 
Board at the event was considered during subsequent 
decisions, such as the plan to start paying dividends from 
the 2019 financial year. 

2018 TULLOW IN FOCUS EVENTS 
Tullow held two ‘Tullow in Focus’ events in 2018, which 
are opportunities to bring colleagues together and reflect 
on Company performance and share the wider strategic 
direction of the business. These two-hour events are led 
by the Executive Team, including the Executive Directors, 
which travels to each of our six key locations, giving a 
formal presentation and then socialising and networking 
with colleagues. At the mid-year event, the Executive Team 
and leaders presented the 2030 Vision and at the year end, 
they reflected on 2018 performance, celebrated our first 
CEO Awards and looked ahead to key milestones for 2019.

OUR HOST COUNTRIES

2018 BOARD STAKEHOLDER EVENING 
In October 2018, the Board held one of its meetings at 
Tullow’s offices in Accra. During the visit, which included 
travel to our operations in Takoradi and the FPSOs, the 
Board hosted an evening for our stakeholders in Ghana. 
Guests were invited from the various ministries of the 
Government of Ghana, our regulators, the Ghana Stock 
Exchange, our contractors and suppliers, institutional 
investors and traditional leaders and Chiefs. The event 
provided an opportunity for the Board to directly engage 
with and receive the views of our host communities 
in Ghana. Events such as these provide the Board 
with the opportunity to learn about the priorities of 
our host communities.

Angus McCoss, Dorothy Thompson and Mike Daly onboard the Jubilee FPSO.

OUR MAIN SHAREHOLDER ENGAGEMENTS DURING 2018

January   – Trading Statement and Operational Update

February   – 2017 Full-Year Results

April  

– Annual General Meeting and Trading Update

May  

– Ghana Investor Forum

June  

– Trading Statement and Operational Update

July  

– 2018 Half-Year Results

November  – November Trading Update 

– Capital Markets Day

www.tullowoil.com

69

GOVERNANCE 
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

“ The Audit Committee is confident in 
the Company’s commitment to a strong 
control environment and risk management 
strategy which supports our business model.”

Steve Lucas, Chairman of the Audit Committee

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Steve Lucas 

Tutu Agyare 

Jeremy Wilson 

Anne Drinkwater* 

Meetings attended

5/5

2/4

5/5

1/1

*  Denotes Directors who were no longer members of the Committee 

as at 31 December 2018.

2018 HIGHLIGHTS
 - Completion of the external audit tender.

 - Review and approval of key financial reporting issues, 
assumptions, judgements and accounting changes 
particularly around valuation of assets and provisions.

 - Review of the outcomes of the PricewaterhouseCoopers 

review of Internal Audit’s scope and resources.

 - Review of financial controls enhancement initiatives.

 - Continued oversight over the supplier due diligence.

 - Review of the work of Ethics and Compliance, including 

whistleblowing arrangements and the Company’s 
response to allegations of misconduct.

 - Review of the tax strategy and monitor progress made 
over the arrangements for tax compliance procedures.

 - Review of the use of SAP and future plans for automation 

of financial processes.

 - Review of the Committee’s terms of reference to reflect 
changes to the UK Corporate Governance Code in 2018.

70

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

DEAR SHAREHOLDER

On the following pages I provide an overview of 
Audit Committee activities in 2018 in its key areas 
of responsibility. In particular, this covered oversight 
of Tullow’s financial reports as well as assessing the 
effectiveness of the company’s risk management and 
internal control processes. I also outline key areas 
of financial judgement and estimation, which were 
considered in Tullow’s accounts and the action taken 
by the Committee to ensure they fairly reflect Tullow’s 
financial position.

In 2018 there have been further changes to the 
Audit Committee composition. Anne Drinkwater 
left the Tullow Board and the Audit Committee and 
I would like to thank her for the great contribution 
and insight which she provided to the work of the 
Committee. Tutu Agyare was appointed to the Audit 
Committee at the conclusion of the AGM. As a 
result, the Committee now consists of three 
members and I am confident that the Committee 
continues to have a required competence and 
experience relevant to Tullow’s business and oil 
and gas industry.

This year the Committee’s focus also included 
accounting, reporting and disclosure implications 
of new accounting standards, especially IFRS 15 
Revenue from Contracts with Customers, IFRS 9 
Financial Instruments and IFRS 16 Lease Accounting, 
which resulted in material adjustments to Tullow’s 
balance sheet. 

We have also initiated, overseen and completed a 
competitive bid process for external audit services, 
which resulted in a recommendation to the Board to 
replace Deloitte LLP with Ernst and Young LLP with 
effect from the 2020 financial year. I describe the 
process in more detail in the report and I am glad 
that this significant change will allow Tullow to stop 
applying transition rules regarding auditor rotation. 

The Audit Committee continued also to oversee the 
risk management and internal control systems and 
we saw further improvement both to financial as well 
as compliance and operational controls and we are 
looking forward to further enhancements to our 
financial and other systems and processes in 2019. 

I am also happy to report that the Committee has 
undergone an annual assessment of its effectiveness 
and it was found to be functioning effectively 
throughout 2018. 

Steve Lucas
Chairman of the Audit Committee

12 February 2019

GOVERNANCE 
Governance
Steve Lucas has been Audit Committee Chairman 
since May 2012. Steve is a Chartered Accountant. 
He was finance director at National Grid plc from 
2002 to 2010 thus meeting the requirement of 
the UK Corporate Governance Code for the 
Audit Committee to have at least one member 
who has recent and relevant financial experience. 
The other members of the Audit Committee are 
Tutu Agyare and Jeremy Wilson. Biographies of 
the Committee members are given on pages 60 
and 61. Together, the members of the Committee 
demonstrate competence in the oil and gas 
industry, with Steve Lucas having significant prior 
experience in oil and gas companies, while other 
Committee members also bringing a wider range 
of industry, commercial and financial experience, 
which is vital in supporting effective governance. 
The Company Secretary serves as the secretary 
to the Committee.

The Chief Financial Officer, the Group Head of 
Finance, the Group Head of Internal Audit and 
representatives of the external auditor are invited 
to attend each meeting of the Committee and 
participated in all of the meetings during 2018. 
The Chair of the Board and the CEO also attend 
meetings of the Committee by invitation and 
were present at most of the meetings in 2018. 
The external auditor and the Group Head of 
Internal Audit have unrestricted access to the 
Committee Chairman.

In 2018, the Audit Committee met on five occasions. 
Meetings are scheduled to allow sufficient time 
for full discussion of key topics and to enable early 
identification and resolution of risks and issues. 
Meetings are aligned with the Group’s financial 
reporting calendar.

The Committee reviewed and updated its terms 
of reference during the year to reflect the changes 
introduced by the revised UK Governance Code 
2018. These are in line with best practice and also 
reflect the requirements of the Companies Act, 
the FRC’s 2016 Guidance on Audit Committees, 
the FRC’s 2014 Guidance on Risk Management, 
Internal Control and Related Financial and 
Business Reporting and the FRC’s 2016 Ethical 
Standards. The Audit Committee’s terms of 
reference can be accessed via the corporate 
website. The Board approved the terms of 
reference on 6 December 2018.

Summary of responsibilities
The Committee’s detailed responsibilities are 
described in its terms of reference and include:

 - monitor the integrity of the Financial Statements 

of the Group, reviewing and reporting to the 
Board on significant financial reporting issues 
and judgements including going concern and 
viability assessments;

 - review and, where necessary, challenge the 

consistency of significant accounting policies, 
and whether appropriate accounting standards 
have been used;

 - review the content of the Annual Report and 

Accounts and advise the Board on whether it is 
fair, balanced and understandable and if it provides 
the information necessary for shareholders to 
assess Tullow’s position, performance, business 
model and strategy;

 - monitor and review the adequacy and effectiveness 
of the Company’s internal financial controls and 
internal control and risk management systems; 

 - consider the level of assurance being provided 
on the risk management and internal controls 
systems and whether it is sufficient for the Board 
to satisfy itself that they are operating effectively;

 - review the adequacy of the whistleblowing 
system, and the Company’s procedures for 
detecting and preventing fraud;

 - review and assess the annual Internal Audit 

plan, its alignment with key risks of the business 
and coordination with other assurance providers 
and receive a report on the results of the Internal 
Audit function’s work on a periodic basis;

 - oversee its relationship with the external 

auditor including assessing its independence 
and objectivity, review the annual audit plan 
to ensure it is consistent with the scope of the 
audit engagement, and review the findings of 
the audit;

 - assess the qualifications, expertise and 

resources of the external auditor and the 
effectiveness of the audit process; and

 - oversee the system of Ethics and Compliance, 
including its procedures to prevent bribery and 
corruption, and response to any significant 
instances of non-compliance.

www.tullowoil.com

71

GOVERNANCEAUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT CONTINUED

Key areas reviewed in 2018
The Committee fully discharged its responsibilities 
during the year and the following describes the 
work completed by the Audit Committee in 2018: 

Annual Report
For the Audit Committee and the Board to be 
satisfied with the overall fairness, balance and clarity 
of the final report, the following steps are taken:

 - collaborative approach taken by the Group, with 

support from the Executives and Group functions 
and direct input from the Board;

 - a central dedicated project team working closely 

with our external auditor;

ALLOCATION OF  
AUDIT COMMITTEE TIME (%)

40+

 Financial results 

 - early engagement and planning, taking 

into consideration investors’ feedback, regulatory 
changes and leading practice;

 Internal audit 

 Risk and controls 

 Governance 

40

20

28

12

 - comprehensive guidance issued to key report 

contributors across the Group;

 - validation of data and information included in the 
report both internally and by the external auditor;

 - a series of key proof dates for comprehensive 

review across different levels in the Group that aim 
to ensure consistency and overall balance; and

 - Senior Management and Board review and sign-off.

Financial reporting
The Committee monitors the integrity of the 
Financial Statements and formal announcements 
relating to the Group’s financial performances. 

As part of the financial reporting process the 
Committee kept under review ongoing and 
emerging financial reporting risks and judgements. 
The Committee met in July 2018 to review half-year 
financial statements and in November 2018 at the 
financial reporting audit and planning phase to 
discuss an initial view of key financial reporting risks 
and judgements before the year-end process. 
Finally, the Committee met for the full-year 
accounts approval in February 2019. At each stage 
of the process the Committee considered the key 
risks identified as being significant to the 2018 
Annual Report and Accounts as well as accounting 
policy changes and their most appropriate 
treatment and disclosure. The primary areas of 
judgement considered by the Committee in relation 
to the 2018 accounts and how these were addressed 
are detailed overleaf. Details on management’s view 
of the overleaf key estimates and judgements can 
be found in the Group Accounting Policies on pages 
126 and 127.

72

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

GOVERNANCE20
+
28
+
12
+
+
I
Significant financial 
judgements and areas 
of estimation

How the Committee addressed these judgements and areas of estimation

Carrying value 
of intangible 
exploration and 
evaluation assets

A detailed accounting paper was received by the Committee from management on the Group’s exploration and 
evaluation assets, with a separate paper for Kenya given its materiality. The papers documented the management’s 
assessment of indicators for impairment and, if required, showed calculations for the impairments. The Committee 
reviewed these papers and challenged management’s position, with particular focus on Kenya, at both the 
November and February Audit Committee meetings.

Furthermore, Committee members met and discussed the Group’s reserves and resources with the Group’s external 
reserves auditor, ERCE, at the December Board meeting to ascertain the hydrocarbon volumes audited by ERCE 
support the impairment assessment.

The Committee supported management’s view that no impairment was required in respect of Kenya while the 
Committee concurred that exploration assets in Ghana, Mauritania, Namibia, Uganda and Zambia should be written 
off as proposed by management and ensured there was an adequate disclosure of this judgement in the Annual 
Report and Accounts.

Carrying value 
of property, plant 
and equipment

The Committee received and reviewed the papers prepared by management on the Group’s oil price and discount 
rate assumptions, which are used in the assessment of the carrying value of PP&E. At the November and February 
Audit Committee meetings these assumptions were challenged by the Committee compared to independent oil 
price forecasts. The Committee also challenged the Company’s calculation of impairment discount rates, with 
particular focus on the asset and exploration risk adjustments made by management to a peer group WACC.

At the November and February Audit Committee meetings the Audit Committee reviewed and challenged detailed 
papers on management’s assessment of impairment triggers and resulting impairment tests for PP&E. The 
Committee gave particular focus to TEN, given the materiality of historical impairments made to that asset. The 
Committee also discussed the Group’s reserves and resources with the Group’s external reserves auditor, ERCE, at 
the December Board meeting to get comfort over management’s view of the carrying value of PP&E. The Committee 
concurred with the impairment and impairment reversals proposed by management and ensured there was an 
adequate disclosure of this judgement in the Annual Report and Accounts.

The Committee received and reviewed a detailed accounting paper from management on assessment of the 
farm-down of Uganda assets and their classification as held for sale. The assumption that the transaction would be 
completed within 12 months was then challenged by the Committee at the November and February Audit Committee 
meetings giving consideration to the fact that assets have been held for sale for in excess of 12 months. The Committee 
ensured that management’s judgement aligned with the assumption used in the annual budget approved at the 
December Board meeting and verified there was an adequate disclosure of this judgement in the Annual Report 
and Accounts.

A detailed accounting paper and cash flow analysis was prepared by management and provided to the Committee, 
which then reviewed and challenged the assumptions and judgements in the underlying going concern and Viability 
Statement forecast cash flows. The Committee discussed with management the risks, sensitivities and mitigations 
identified by management to ensure the Company has sufficient headroom to continue as a going concern. The 
Committee also discussed the five-year time horizon used by management for the Viability Statement. The 
Committee concurred with management’s assessment and ensured there was an adequate disclosure of this 
judgement in the Annual Report and Accounts.

Recognition 
of assets held 
for sale

Going concern 
and viability

Decommissioning 
costs

A detailed paper was prepared by management detailing the Group’s decommissioning provision assumptions 
making reference, where appropriate, to relevant operator estimates and market data. At the February Audit 
Committee meeting the Committee challenged reasonableness of and got comfort around management’s 
assessment of the changes to estimated decommissioning costs made during 2018. The Committee concurred with 
management’s assessment and ensured there was an adequate disclosure of this judgement in the Annual Report 
and Accounts.

Provisions for 
onerous service 
contracts

A detailed accounting paper was prepared by management on provisions for onerous contracts and reviewed by the 
Committee. This included a summary of independent legal advice on such contracts where appropriate. The Committee 
regularly monitors the risk by receiving regular summaries of all open litigations and disputes as part of the Group’s 
Quarterly Performance reporting. The Committee then challenged management’s position at the November and 
December Audit Committee meetings and also met with the Group’s General Counsel during the July meeting and 
again in February at the full Board meeting. The Committee concurred with management’s assessment and 
ensured there was an adequate disclosure of this judgement in the Annual Report and Accounts.

Uncertain tax 
and regulatory 
positions

Detailed accounting papers on all tax and regulatory exposures were prepared by management for the Committee’s 
review. Where relevant, the papers included summaries of external legal or tax advice on particular tax claims and 
assessments received. The Committee challenged management on the key judgements and estimates made 
including the likelihood of success and the value of the exposure which had been provided for. The Committee 
concurred with management’s assessment and ensured there was an adequate disclosure of this judgement in 
the Annual Report and Accounts.

www.tullowoil.com

73

GOVERNANCEAUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT CONTINUED

External auditor
Making recommendations to the Board on the 
appointment or re-appointment of the Group’s 
external auditor, overseeing the Board’s relationship 
with the external auditor and, where appropriate, 
the selection of a new external auditor, and 
assessing the effectiveness of the external audit 
process is a key responsibility of the Audit Committee.

 - The UK Corporate Governance Code states 

that the Audit Committee should have primary 
responsibility for making a recommendation on 
the appointment, re-appointment or removal of 
the external auditor. On the basis of the review 
of external audit effectiveness described below, 
the Committee recommended to the Board 
that it recommends to shareholders the 
re-appointment of Deloitte as Tullow’s statutory 
auditor at the 2019 AGM.

 - The external auditor is required to rotate the 
audit partner responsible for the Group audit 
every five years. The current Deloitte lead audit 
partner, Mr Dean Cook, started his tenure in 
2015 and his current rotation has ended with 
the audit of our 2018 accounts. For the year 
2019, Mr Dean Cook will be succeeded by 
Mr Anthony Matthews. 

 - The Group’s external auditor is Deloitte LLP. 

The Audit Committee assessed the qualifications, 
expertise and resources, and independence of 
the external auditor as well as the effectiveness 
of the audit process. This review covered all 
aspects of the audit service provided by Deloitte LLP, 
including obtaining a report on the audit firm’s 
own internal quality control procedures and 
consideration of the audit firm’s annual 
transparency reports in line with the UK 
Corporate Governance Code. The Audit 
Committee also approved the external audit 
terms of engagement and remuneration. During 
2018 the Committee held private meetings with 
the external auditor. The Audit Committee 
Chairman also maintained regular contact with 
the audit partner throughout the year. These 
meetings provide an opportunity for open dialogue 
with the external auditor without management 
being present. Matters discussed included the 
auditor’s assessment of significant financial 
risks and the performance of management in 
addressing these risks, the auditor’s 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.

 - In order to ensure the effectiveness of the external 
audit process, Deloitte LLP conducts an audit 
risk identification process at the start of the 
audit cycle. This plan is presented to the Audit 
Committee for its review and approval and, for 
the 2018 audit, the key audit risks identified 
included carrying value of intangible exploration 
and evaluation assets, carrying value of property, 
plant and equipment, recognition of assets held for 
sale, going concern and viability, decommissioning 
costs and provisions for onerous service contracts. 
These and other identified risks are reviewed 
through the year and reported at Audit Committee 
meetings where the Committee challenges 
the work completed by the auditor and tests 
management’s assumptions and estimates 
in relation to these risks. The Committee also 
seeks an assessment from management of the 
effectiveness of the audit process. In addition, 
a separate questionnaire addressed to all 
attendees of the Audit Committee and Senior 
Finance Managers is used to assess external 
audit effectiveness. As a result of these reviews, 
the Audit Committee considered the external 
audit process to be operating effectively.

 - The Committee closely monitors the level of audit 
and non-audit services provided by the external 
auditor to the Group. Non-audit services are 
normally limited to assignments that are closely 
related to the annual audit or where the work is 
of such a nature that a detailed understanding 
of the Group is necessary. An internal Tullow 
standard for the engagement of the external 
auditor to supply non-audit services is in place 
to formalise these arrangements. It is reviewed 
biannually and has been revised in 2018. Among 
others, it requires Audit Committee approval 
for all non-trivial categories of non-audit work. 
A breakdown of the fees paid in 2018 to the external 
auditor in respect of audit and non-audit work is 
included in note 4 to the Financial Statements.

 - In addition to processes put in place to ensure 

segregation of audit and non-audit roles, 
Deloitte LLP is required, as part of the assurance 
process in relation to the audit, to confirm to the 
Committee that it has both the appropriate 
independence and the objectivity to allow it to 
continue to serve the members of the Company. 
This confirmation is received every six months 
and no matters of concern were identified by 
the Committee.

External auditor rotation
The audit contract was last tendered in 2004. 
Under the EU Audit Regulation and the Companies 
Act, Tullow elected to apply the transitional rules 
with an annual review of this approach. According 
to those rules, the Company was required to run a 
competitive tender process in respect of auditor 
appointment no later than 31 December 2024. 

74

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

GOVERNANCEHowever, in 2018 the Audit Committee initiated a 
formal tender process for the 2020 audit. The Audit 
Committee’s decision to tender the audit contract 
ahead of the mandatory rotation in 2024 was 
largely driven by Tullow’s financial and operational 
stability, the length of Deloitte’s tenure and the 
expectation that the audit tender market would be 
crowded for 2024 given the number of companies 
applying transitional rules on audit tendering.

In line with the Group’s procurement policy a 
Tender Strategy Document was drafted, which 
included criteria on which the tenderers would be 
assessed. The focus of the assessment criteria, 
and overall weighting, was on audit quality but 
industry knowledge and experience, team and 
cultural alignment and fees were also assessed. 
A number of stakeholders were notified of Tullow’s 
intention to tender the audit contract and invited to 
provide input or feedback into the process. A group 
of five audit firms was formally invited to tender, 
including two non ’big four’ firms, but excluding 
Tullow’s current auditor, Deloitte LLP. A subset of 
the five firms accepted Tullow’s invitation to tender 
and submitted written proposals. Oral presentations 
took place in November 2018 and were assessed 
alongside written submissions against the set of 
predetermined criteria resulting in the Audit 
Committee recommending the preference of 
Ernst & Young LLP to the Board for its consideration. 
In December 2018 the Board endorsed the Audit 
Committee’s preference and appointed Ernst & 
Young LLP to become the Group’s statutory auditor 
for the financial year commencing 1 January 2020. 
The appointment remains subject to approval by 
shareholders at the 2020 Annual General Meeting.

Internal controls and risk management
The Audit Committee has delegated responsibility 
on behalf of the Tullow Board for reviewing the 
effectiveness of the Group’s risk management and 
internal control systems. In 2018, in concert with 
the whole Board, the Audit Committee completed a 
robust assessment of the principal risks facing the 
Company, including those that would threaten its 
business model, future performance, solvency or 
liquidity. This assessment included emerging risks, 
such as the impact of Brexit, GDPR and diversity 
and inclusion; however, these have been assessed 
as being low in the short to medium term. The 
assessment included several engagements with 
the Executive Team and this approach has 
resulted in better ownership and accountability of 
enterprise-wide risks amongst the Executive Team. 
For each of the principal risk categories, the Board 
developed a set of risk appetites and reviewed 
Executive Team’s risk strategies to mitigate them. 
As part of that process, the Board identified which 
risks Tullow should not tolerate, which should be 
mitigated to an acceptable level and which could 
be accepted in order to deliver our business 

strategy. The risk appetites are to be embedded in 
the Tullow IMS to ensure they are visible to the 
whole organisation and can be used to develop risk 
targets and tolerance levels for each key risk. 

In 2018, the Audit Committee reviewed, discussed 
and briefed the Board on the regular reports on 
risks, controls and assurance, including the annual 
assessment of the system of risk management and 
internal control, in order to monitor the effectiveness 
of the procedures for internal control over financial 
reporting, compliance and operational matters. 
Comfort was obtained through the coordinated 
activities of Internal Audit, which comprised: 

 - audits undertaken by the Internal Audit function;

 - assurance activities undertaken by the 

Group functions;

 - enhancement of the enterprise risk 

management and assurance processes;

 - the external auditor’s observations on 

internal financial controls identified as part 
of its audit; and

 - regular performance, risk and assurance 

reporting by the Business Unit and corporate 
teams to the Board.

During the year, Internal Audit presented its 
findings to the Audit Committee, which monitored 
the progress of issues raised and their resolution 
on a regular basis. On occasions, Senior Management 
representatives from the business were also 
invited to the Audit Committee meetings to provide 
updates on key matters such as the Group Finance 
Controls Project, progress over the Ghana Finance 
Enhancement Project, tax strategy and proposed 
disclosure, as well as further improvements 
required in the supplier due diligence process. 

In addition, during the year, the Audit Committee, 
as part of full Board meetings, received reports 
from the independent reserves auditor, ERCE, and 
reviewed the arrangements in place for managing 
information technology risk relating to the Group’s 
critical information systems. As part of that review 
the Committee reviewed the level of use of SAP 
in Tullow and plans for future automation and 
enhancements to financial systems. The Committee 
also reviewed the arrangements for Company 
employees and contractors to raise concerns 
through the ‘speaking up’ programme. 

Based on the results of the annual effectiveness 
review of risk management and internal control 
systems that was coordinated by Group Internal 
Audit, the Audit Committee concluded that the 
system of internal controls operated effectively 
throughout the financial year and up to the date 
on which the Financial Statements were signed.

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75

GOVERNANCEAUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT CONTINUED

Internal audit requirements
The Audit Committee’s role is to consider how the 
Group’s internal audit requirements are satisfied 
and make relevant recommendations to the Board.

 - The Group Head of Internal Audit has direct 

access and responsibility to the Audit Committee 
Chairman and Committee. His main responsibilities 
include: evaluating the Group’s assessment of 
the overall control environment as well as the 
assessment of effectiveness of risk identification 
and management at business and corporate 
levels. During 2018, the Group Head of Internal 
Audit met twice with the Audit Committee 
without the presence of management.

 - The Committee reviewed and challenged the 

programme of 2018 internal Audit work 
developed to address both financial and overall 
risk management objectives identified within 
the Group. The plan was subsequently adopted 
with progress reported at the Audit Committee 
meetings. 42 internal audits were undertaken 
during the year, covering a range of financial and 
business processes in the Group’s London office 
and the main operational locations in Ghana 
and Kenya. Detailed results from these reviews 
were reported to management and in summary 
to the Audit Committee during the year. Where 
required, the Audit Committee receives full 
details on any key findings. The Audit Committee 
receives regular reports on the status of the 
implementation of Internal Audit recommendations. 

 - Internal Audit undertook regular audits of 

non-operated Joint Ventures at the request of 
respective Business Unit management. Internal 
Audit also runs a systematic programme of audits 
of suppliers’ compliance with commercial and 
business ethics clauses, including bribery and 
corruption, on significant and high-risk contracts.

 - The Audit Committee assessed the effectiveness 
of Internal Audit through its review of progress 
versus plan and the results of audits reported. 
In 2018, PwC was selected by the Company 
to carry out an assessment of Internal Audit’s 
size and scope and the function was deemed 
adequately resourced to coordinate Internal 
Audit activities and to provide assurance services 
to the management around non-operated Joint 
Ventures and suppliers’ compliance audits as 
well as to coordinate risk management activities 
across the Group. In line with the requirements of 
the Institute of Internal Auditors, the Committee 
requested a full external assessment of the 
internal audit process in 2019.

Whistleblowing procedure
We ensure that an effective whistleblowing 
procedure is in place.

 - In line with best practice and to ensure Tullow 
works to the highest ethical standards, an 
independent whistleblowing procedure was 
established in 2011 and operated throughout 
2018 to allow staff to confidentially raise any 
concerns about business practices. This procedure 
complements established internal reporting 
processes. The whistleblowing policy is included 
in the Code of Ethical Conduct which is available 
to all staff in printed form and on the corporate 
website. Each member of staff needs to complete 
an online awareness course to refresh their 
knowledge of key provisions of Tullow’s Code 
of Ethical Conduct. The Committee considers 
the whistleblowing procedures to be appropriate 
for the size and scale of the Group.

 - The Committee receives from the Group 

Ethics and Compliance Manager summaries of 
investigations of significant known or suspected 
misconduct by third parties and employees 
including ongoing monitoring and following 
up of internal investigations.

Review of effectiveness of the Audit Committee
 - During the year, the Audit Committee has 

undergone an independent review of its own 
effectiveness with the results reported to the 
Board. The Committee was considered to 
be operating effectively and in accordance with 
the UK Corporate Governance Code and the 
relevant guidance.

Looking forward to 2019
 - The Committee will oversee and ensure smooth 
transition from the current external auditor to 
the incoming firm.

 - The Committee will continue to oversee 

implementation of systems, including upgrade 
of SAP and other systems, which may have an 
impact on financial reporting.

 - The Committee will review externally the 

effectiveness of the Internal Audit function.

 - The Committee will review preparedness of the 
Company for HMRC’s Making Tax Digital for 
VAT obligations.

 - The Committee will continue to review the 
effectiveness of risk management process, 
integrated assurance, effectiveness of material 
controls and management’s control 
improvement activities.

76

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

GOVERNANCENOMINATIONS COMMITTEE REPORT 

“ As part of the Committee’s strategy to equip the 
Board with the skills and attributes it will require, the 
Board approved two diversity targets: at least 20 per 
cent African membership and at least 30 per cent 
female membership on the Board by 2020.”

Dorothy Thompson, Chair of the Nominations Committee

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Dorothy Thompson 

Jeremy Wilson 

Steve Lucas 

Aidan Heavey* 
Paul McDade† 

Anne Drinkwater* 

Meetings attended

1/1

3/3

3/3

2/2

2/2

1/1

*  Denotes Directors who were no longer Directors of the Company 

as at 31 December 2018. 

†  Denotes Director who was no longer a member of the Committee 

as at 31 December 2018. 

2018 HIGHLIGHTS
 - Appointment of new independent non-executive Chair 

of the Board. 

 - In-depth review of the skills matrix, structure, size 
and composition required of the Board to deliver 
the long-term strategic aims of the Company. 

 - Commencement of independent non-executive Director 

searches and review of candidate longlist.

 - Approval of target to deliver at least 20 per cent Africans 
and at least 30 per cent women on the Board by 2020.

 - Review of terms of reference in light of the 2018 UK 

Corporate Governance Code.

DEAR SHAREHOLDER
The main function of the Nominations Committee 
is to ensure that the Board and its Committees are 
appropriately constituted and have the necessary 
skills and expertise to support the Company’s 
current and future activities and deliver its strategy 
for sustainable long-term success. The Committee 
also continues to focus on succession and the 
recruitment, development and retention of a 
diverse pipeline of managers who will occupy the 
most senior positions in the Company in the future. 

Early in 2018, the Committee completed its work 
on Chair succession when it was announced 
that I would be appointed as an independent 
non-executive Director and Chair-Designate 
with effect from the conclusion of the AGM. 
This concluded a long and successful effort 
by the Committee to manage one of the most 
significant leadership transitions in Tullow’s 
history. In July 2018 Aidan Heavey retired from 
Tullow and I was appointed Chair of the Board 
and Chair of the Nominations Committee. 

Upon my appointment as Chair of the Committee, 
the Committee began an evaluation of the current 
attributes of the Board and an in-depth review of 
the skills, experience and personal characteristics 
that will be required of the Board now and in the 
future to deliver the long-term strategy of the 
Company. This review also took into account the 
principal and emerging risks that face the Company 
and its strategy. As a result, the Committee 
approved a proposal to increase the size of the 
Board and begin a search for at least two new 
non-executive Directors with the specific skills, 
experience and personal characteristics identified 
as required by the future Board. At the time of this 
Report, those searches are under way and the 
Committee is making strong progress towards 
achieving its aims. We have reviewed a longlist 
of candidates and seek to make new appointments 
to the Board during the course of 2019. 

The diversity of a board contributes to its success 
and the Committee recognises the importance of 
establishing a board that is more reflective of the 
value that Tullow places on diversity and inclusion 
within our business. As part of the Committee’s 
strategy to equip the Board with the skills and 
attributes it will require, it proposed to the Board 
and the Board approved two diversity targets: at 
least 20 per cent African membership and at least 
30 per cent female membership on the Board by 
2020. Appointments to the Board will always be 
based upon individual merit and objective criteria 
and the Committee was pleased to receive the 
unanimous support of all the Board members in 
setting this target. 

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77

GOVERNANCE 
NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE REPORT CONTINUED

In 2018, the Committee implemented the annual 
evaluation of the performance of the Board and 
its Committees. This was an internal evaluation 
arranged by the Chair of the Committee and the 
Company Secretary. The results were presented 
to the Board and will be used by the Committee in 
2019 to commission a full evaluation by an external 
facilitator of the Board, its Committees and each 
of the Directors. 

The Committee is also responsible for ensuring 
there are plans in place for the orderly succession 
of Senior Manager positions within the business. 
During the course of 2018, the Committee and the 
Board reviewed the succession arrangements in 
place for the recruitment, development and retention 
of managers who will occupy the most senior 
positions in the Company in the future. In 2019, 
the Committee will continue in this work and 
support the Board in its focus on achieving a 
diverse and inclusive workforce population with 
a nationality mix which is representative of our 
assets’ geographic footprint and improves our 
gender diversity.

Dorothy Thompson
Chair of the Nominations Committee

12 February 2019

Committee’s role
The Committee reviews the composition and balance 
of the Board and senior executives on a regular 
basis and also ensures robust succession plans 
are in place for all Directors and senior executives. 
When recruiting new Executive or non-executive 
Directors, the Committee appoints external search 
consultants to provide a list of possible candidates, 
from which a shortlist is produced. External 
consultants are instructed that diversity is one 
of the criteria that the Committee will take into 
consideration in its selection of the shortlist. 
The Committee’s terms of reference are reviewed 
annually and are set out on the Group’s website.

Committee’s main responsibilities
The Committee’s main duties are:

 - reviewing the structure, size and composition 
of the Board (including the skills, knowledge, 
experience and diversity of its members) and 
making recommendations to the Board with 
regard to any changes required;

 - identifying and nominating, for Board approval, 
candidates to fill Board vacancies as and when 
they arise;

 - succession planning for Directors and other 

senior executives;

 - reviewing annually the time commitment 
required of non-executive Directors; and

 - making recommendations to the Board regarding 
membership of the Audit, Remuneration and 
other Committees in consultation with the 
Chair of each Committee.

Committee membership and meetings
The composition of the Committee changed during 
2018. Dorothy Thompson joined the Committee in 
April on her appointment as a non-executive Director 
and Chair-Designate. Following the successful 
appointment of Dorothy as the new Chair of the 
Board, she was appointed Chair of the Committee 
and Paul McDade stepped down as a member of the 
Committee. The membership and attendance of 
members at Committee meetings held in 2018 are 
shown in the adjacent table. 

In addition to three formal meetings, the Committee 
held a number of informal discussions, telephone 
conference calls and interviews during the year.

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GOVERNANCELooking forward to 2019
 - The Committee will implement its plan to appoint 

new non-executives to the Board.

 - The Committee will commission a full external 
evaluation of the Board and its Committees.

 - The Committee will continue to review and monitor 

succession planning of Senior Management.

 - The Committee will oversee the progress of the 
Company’s policy on diversity and inclusion and 
how it is being implemented. 

Committee activities
 - Implementation of succession for Chair of the 
Board. Detailed planning for the identification 
of a successor to founder Aidan Heavey as Chair 
of the Board. In April 2018, the Committee 
proposed and the Board approved the appointment 
of Dorothy Thompson as non-executive Director 
and Chair-Designate with effect from the conclusion 
of the AGM. The services of executive search 
consultants Spencer Stuart were employed in 
this search. There is no other connection 
between Spencer Stuart and Tullow.

 - In-depth review of the skills, experience and 

personal characteristics required of the current 
and future Board and the creation and approval 
of a succession plan to meet those requirements. 

 - Implementation of succession plan to appoint at 
least two non-executive Directors to the Board 
and the review of candidate longlists. The 
services of executive search consultants Odgers 
Berndtson have been employed in this search. 
There is no connection between Odgers 
Berndtson and Tullow other than using it as a 
search firm for directors and senior executives. 

 - Annual evaluation of the performance of the 

Board and its Committees, including a review of 
the membership and chairmanship of each of 
the Board Committees. 

 - As a result of the changes to the Board during 

the year, the Committee proposed and the Board 
approved the appointment of Mike Daly as Chair 
of the EHS Committee and the appointment 
of Dorothy Thompson as a member of the 
EHS Committee and Nominations Committee.  
Tutu Agyare was appointed a member of the 
Audit Committee. Upon her appointment as 
Chair of the Board, Dorothy was also appointed 
Chair of the Nomination Committee.

 - Supporting the Board in improving the diversity 
of the talent pipeline for the Board and Senior 
Managers. As part of a continuing effort to increase 
gender and national diversity in the senior levels 
of the business, diversity and inclusion was again 
included in the 2018 corporate scorecard. 
Progress against the Company’s diversity plan 
was reviewed and further developments were 
made. The Committee is confident that if the 
implementation of this plan continues with the 
same level of commitment observed in 2018, 
diversity, particularly at senior levels, will 
materially improve over the coming years.

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79

GOVERNANCEEHS COMMITTEE REPORT

“ The Committee monitors the 
performance and key risks that the 
Company faces in relation to process 
safety, occupational safety, security, 
health and environmental management.”

Mike Daly, Chair of the EH S Committee

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Mike Daly 

Angus McCoss  

Dorothy Thompson 

Anne Drinkwater* 

Meetings attended

3/3

2/2

2/2

1/1

*  Denotes Directors who were no longer members of the Committee 

as at 31 December 2018.

2018 HIGHLIGHTS
 - Deep dives into process safety management on 

Jubilee and TEN assets.

 - Site visit to Ghana operations including key 

contractor discussions.

 - Review of the Sustainability Pillar within the 2030 Vision. 

DEAR SHAREHOLDER
The Committee works to enhance the Board’s 
support and challenge with EHS through 
appropriate in-depth reviews of strategically 
important EHS issues for the Group. The 
Committee has a forward-looking agenda and 
considers emerging risks that the business 
might face in its operations.

Process safety continues to be a key focus area for 
the Committee. In addition to monitoring process 
safety risk management across the Group, the 
Committee reviewed the Asset Integrity Strategy 
for the Jubilee and TEN facilities including key 
EHS contractual arrangements with Tullow as 
the duty holder. 

As the Jubilee Turret Remediation Project progressed 
towards a permanent solution in 2018, the Committee 
had an in-depth review of the assurance processes 
used to support safe execution. 

The Committee’s environmental review in 2018 
focused on the water delivery model for the 
Kenya development; the New Ventures business’ 
EHS readiness for new country entry; as well as 
operational readiness for both seismic and 
exploration activities. 

The Committee in 2019 will expand its remit to 
include an overview of the broader strategic 
implementation of Tullow’s sustainability goals, 
including environmental stewardship and 
carbon emissions. 

Mike Daly
Chair of the EHS Committee

12 February 2019

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GOVERNANCE 
Committee’s role
The Committee has been established by the Board 
to monitor the performance and key risks that the 
Company faces in relation to occupational and 
process safety, security, health and environmental 
management, with a particular ongoing focus on 
process safety. The Committee oversees the 
processes and systems put in place by the Company 
to meet our stated objectives of protecting employees, 
the communities in which we operate and the 
natural environment. Additionally, it monitors the 
effectiveness of operational organisations across 
the Company in delivering continuous improvement 
in EHS through reviewing a wide range of EHS 
leading and lagging indicators to gain an insight 
into how EHS policies, standards and practices 
are being implemented. In particular, the 
Committee reviews high-potential incidents, 
especially where they have occurred repeatedly 
in one location or activity (also see Responsible 
Operations, page 43). It also scrutinises the 
outcome of audits and investigations. 

Committee’s main responsibilities
The Committee’s main responsibilities are:

 - to review and provide advice regarding the 
environmental, health, security and asset 
protection, and safety policies of the Company;

 - to monitor the performance, including regulatory 
compliance, of the Company in the progressive 
implementation of its environmental, health, 
security and asset protection, and safety policies, 
including process safety management;

 - to receive reports covering matters relating to 
material environmental, health, security and 
asset protection, and safety risks; and

 - to consider material regulatory and technical 
developments in the fields of environmental, 
health, security and asset protection, and 
safety management. 

The Committee’s terms of reference are reviewed 
annually and are available on the corporate website. 
The Committee’s membership changed during the 
year with Mike Daly replacing Anne Drinkwater as 
Chair of the Committee, and Dorothy Thompson 
joining the Committee. The Committee currently 
comprises two non-executive Directors and one 
Executive Director. Sandy Stash, EVP Safety & 
Sustainability, Operations & Engineering and 
External Affairs (SOEEA), also attends the Committee 
meetings. Collectively, the Committee members 
have considerable operational EHS experience 
gained from diverse operating environments 
across the extractive industries.

Meetings
In addition to the core Committee members, 
Functional Heads and Senior Managers from 
across the Group were invited to meetings to 
provide additional details and insights on specific 
agenda items. They also provide guidance on EHS 
issues and support discussions about how EHS 
can be embedded across their parts of the 
business. In 2018 those attending the meetings 
included Senior Management from Tullow’s 
operations and Group management team members 
from the Safety and Sustainability, External Affairs 
and Operations and Engineering functions.

Committee activities in 2018
 - In 2018, the Committee reviewed the EHS elements 
of the Safety and Sustainability Plan. The plan 
sets out milestones that need to be reached to 
meet Safety and Sustainability’s multi-year 
objectives and covers all aspects of EHS. 
Examples of these milestones include:

 - assuring that Company and Business Unit 
plans are in alignment with the EHS and 
non-technical risk standards incorporated 
in Tullow’s Integrated Management 
System (IMS);

 - supporting Business Delivery Teams in 

the implementation of the Human Rights 
Policy including compliance with the 
Modern Slavery Act (both available on our 
website); and

 - conducting process safety and asset integrity 

audits of the Jubilee and TEN FPSOs.

 - At each meeting the Committee tracked 

performance against EHS key performance 
indicators (KPIs), which include both leading 
and lagging indicators. In addition to providing 
a snapshot of Tullow’s progress, EHS KPIs were 
used to identify areas where more focus may 
be required, such as asset integrity, occupational 
safety and land transport safety. A number of 
the EHS KPIs are part of the corporate scorecard 
and are linked to remuneration; these are 
overseen by the Committee.

 - Assurance activity on key EHS risk areas was 

reviewed during 2018. Such assurance included 
the review of results from audits of malaria 
management processes across our Ghana, 
Kenya and Uganda operations. Committee 
assurance also included review of the process 
safety and asset integrity audits of Ghana 
production operations, including an assessment 
of the delivery of the Jubilee Asset Integrity 
Management Plan. 

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GOVERNANCEEHS COMMITTEE REPORT CONTINUED

Committee activities in 2018 continued
 - The Committee reviewed process safety risk 

management including plant, process, people 
and performance management to assess 
priorities, progress and challenges in 2018 
and looked ahead to 2019 work plans. The 
Committee also reviewed risk management 
in drilling and completion operations including 
processes, tools and performance.

 - Tullow’s environmental performance and key 
environmental risks were reviewed together 
with the mitigation and management techniques 
employed to minimise their impact.

Looking forward to 2019
 - The Committee will focus on the strategic work 
plan under development for the Sustainability 
pillar of the 2030 Vision.

 - The Committee will have a continuing emphasis 
on process safety, including Ghana and Kenya 
ongoing operations.

 - The Committee will provide ongoing oversight 
of appropriate EHS risk management at all 
operational sites.

 - The Committee will review assurance work 
focused on land transport safety and the 
application of business continuity plans 
implemented by the business.

 - The Committee will continue to review the 

EHS elements of the East Africa development 
project plans and sustainability aspects of all 
new country entries.

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GOVERNANCEREMUNERATION REPORT

ANNUAL STATEMENT  
ON REMUNERATION

The Remuneration Committee is focused on ensuring 
Executive Directors are rewarded for promoting the 
long‑term sustainable success of the Company and 
delivering on its strategy rather than short‑term returns.

“ The Remuneration Committee aligns 
reward with the Company’s Values 
and long-term strategy.”

Tutu Agyare, Chair of the Remuneration Committee

DEAR SHAREHOLDER
On behalf of the Board, I am presenting the 
Remuneration Committee’s report for 2018 on 
Directors’ remuneration. The report is divided 
into three main sections:

 ‑ our Annual Statement, which provides a 

summary of the year under review and the 
Committee’s intentions going forward;

 ‑ the Directors’ Remuneration Policy Report, 

which was formally approved by shareholders 
at the 2017 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 
26 April 2017 and sets out the forward‑looking 
three‑year Directors’ Remuneration Policy for the 
Company which commenced 1 January 2017; and

 ‑ the 2018 Annual Report on Remuneration, which 
provides details of the remuneration earned by 
Directors in the year ended 31 December 2018.

2018 Board changes
During 2018, Tullow announced a number 
of changes to its Board, notably:

 ‑ the appointment of Dorothy Thompson as 
independent non‑executive Director and 
Chair‑Designate of Tullow with effect from the 
conclusion of the Company’s AGM on 25 April 2018, 
and her appointment as Chair at the conclusion 
of the Board meeting on 20 July 2018. On her 
appointment as a non‑executive Director, Dorothy 
joined Tullow’s Environment, Health and Safety 
(EHS) Committee and the Nominations Committee, 
becoming Chair of the Nominations Committee 
at the conclusion of the Board meeting on 
20 July 2018; 

 ‑ Aidan Heavey, former Chairman of Tullow Oil plc, 
retired from the Board following the conclusion 
of the Board meeting on 20 July 2018; and

–   Anne Drinkwater also stepped down from the  
Board following the conclusion of the AGM on 
25 April 2018 when Mike Daly became Chair of 
the EHS Committee and Tutu Agyare was appointed 
as a member of the Audit Committee.

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83

GOVERNANCEon its strategic, financial and operational targets, 
which resulted in a final score of 38.4 per cent 
(out of 50 per cent). Strategic finance achievements 
continued to focus on the deleveraging of the balance 
sheet and the generation of free cash flow. The 
Jubilee Turret Remediation Project was successfully 
completed. 2018 also saw an improvement in Total 
Shareholder Return with performance against our 
peer group contributing to the corporate scorecard 
achievement of 21.9 per cent (out of 50 per cent). 
Full details of performance against the KPIs is 
shown on pages 94 to 96.

Shareholder dialogue and stakeholder engagement
Your views of remuneration are important to 
the Board and for that reason the Committee 
consulted with shareholders on the 2017 Policy 
in late 2016 and early 2017 and regularly offers 
to meet and discuss policy with shareholders. 
The Committee will do the same in 2019 as the 
Committee prepares to review the Directors’ 
Remuneration Policy ahead of the AGM in 2020. 

During 2018, I and fellow members of the Committee 
engaged with staff during visits to the Group’s offices 
and operations, including in Ghana, Kenya and 
South Africa, such visits help the Board to gain 
insight into the culture of the organisation and 
hear the employees views firsthand. In 2019, we 
will continue to do this but the Committee will also 
benefit from receiving the views of the workforce 
on remuneration arrangements via the Group’s 
workforce advisory panels. 

Finally, on behalf of the Committee, I would like 
to thank shareholders for their vote approving 
the 2018 Annual Statement and Annual Report 
on Remuneration at the last AGM and look forward 
to your continued support over the coming year.

If you have any comments or questions on any 
element of the report, please email me at 
remunerationchair@tullowoil.com.

Tutu Agyare
Chair of the Remuneration Committee

12 February 2019

REMUNERATION REPORT CONTINUED

2017 Remuneration Policy
The Policy is based on a structure linking the 
Group’s ongoing strategy and business goals to 
performance. Set out below are the main features 
of the 2017 Policy (which are explained in greater 
detail in the Remuneration Policy Report).

Tullow Incentive Plan (TIP)
 ‑ The maximum annual award opportunity 

is 400 per cent of base salary.

 ‑ Full vesting of the TSR performance 

condition to be triggered at upper quartile 
(75th percentile) performance.

 ‑ Discretion to settle any portion of the annual 
cash bonus component of a TIP award in 
deferred shares.

The Committee believes that the Policy at these levels 
aligns interests of management and shareholders 
and incentivises, motivates and retains our valued 
Executive Directors. Further details are shown 
in the Directors’ Remuneration Policy Report.

Performance and reward for 2018
The Committee continues to monitor Executive 
base salaries in an effort to remain competitive 
and appropriately placed in the international oil 
and gas industry.

As part of the annual salary review process for 
2018, the Committee used the approved 2017 
Policy and salaries for the Executive Directors were 
adjusted to take into account Tullow’s market 
position and benchmark data for the international 
oil and gas sector.

The overall impact of this change was an increase 
of 3 per cent in CEO, CFO and Exploration Director 
salaries, which was consistent with the wider 
decisions made regarding employee pay: 
Paul McDade’s salary was increased to £746,750; 
Les Wood’s salary was increased to £448,050; and 
Angus McCoss’ salary was increased to £422,300. 

For 2019, in view of UK inflation, salary inflation 
and benchmarking data, the Committee has 
decided to increase the salaries of the Executive 
Directors by 3 per cent and, again, this decision 
took into account and is consistent with the 
wider decisions made regarding workforce pay 
and arrangements. 

In addition, with effect from 1 January 2019, the 
Chair’s fee is £300,000 and the base non‑executive 
Directors’ fee is set at £65,000. This is following 
a recent review of benchmark data and in the 
context of a previous reduction of non‑executive 
Director fees. No Director was involved in deciding 
their own remuneration outcome.

The performance targets set for 2018 in respect 
of the TIP awards to be granted in 2019 were 
challenging. However, the Group performed well 

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Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

GOVERNANCECOMPONENTS OF REMUNERATION

FIXED PAY

BASE SALARY

PENSION AND BENEFITS

Pension
Benefits
Medical insurance 
Permanent health insurance  
Life assurance

PERFORMANCE  
RELATED

TULLOW INCENTIVE PLAN

Annual award of cash (up to 100 per cent of salary)

Balance awarded in shares 
(up to 300 per cent of salary)

TOTAL REMUNERATION

Glossary

AGM 

Annual General Meeting

Capex 

Capital expenditure

DSBP 

Deferred Share Bonus Plan

EHS 

Environment, health and safety

ESOS 

2000 Executive Share Option Scheme

HMRC 

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs 

Opex 

Operating expenses

PSP 

Performance Share Plan

SIP 

TIP 

UK Share Incentive Plan

Tullow Incentive Plan

TSR 

Total Shareholder Return

Preparation of this report
This report has been prepared in accordance with the 
requirements of the Companies Act 2006, the Large and 
Medium‑sized Companies and Groups (Accounts & Reports) 
(Amendment) Regulations 2013, which came into force on 
1 October 2013 and which set out the reporting requirements 
in respect of Directors’ remuneration, and the Listing Rules. 
The legislation requires the external auditor to state whether, 
in its opinion, the parts of the report that are subject to audit 
have been properly prepared in accordance with the relevant 
legislation and these parts have been highlighted.

DIRECTORS’ REMUNERATION POLICY 
REPORT (VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE) 
Although Tullow is not required to present the current 
Remuneration Policy Report this year, nor to submit the 
Remuneration Policy to a binding vote, in line with best 
practice on corporate reporting, we have included for 
reference on the following pages the Remuneration Policy 
for the Company which commenced 1 January 2017 and 
became formally effective following approval from shareholders 
through a binding vote at the 2017 AGM. This section also 
explains how the Remuneration Policy will be operated 
during 2019.

Policy overview
The principles of the Remuneration Committee are to ensure 
that remuneration is linked to Tullow’s strategy and promote 
the attraction, motivation and retention of the highest quality 
executives who are key to delivering sustainable long‑term 
value growth and substantial returns to shareholders.

Consideration of shareholders’ views
The Committee considers shareholder feedback received 
at the AGM each year and, more generally, guidance from 
shareholder representative bodies. This feedback, plus any 
additional feedback received during any meetings from time 
to time, is considered as part of the Company’s annual review 
of the continuing appropriateness of the Remuneration Policy.

Employment conditions elsewhere in the Group
In setting the Remuneration Policy and remuneration levels 
for Executive Directors, the Committee is cognisant of the 
approach to rewarding employees in the Group and levels of 
pay increases generally. The Committee does not currently 
formally consult directly with employees on the Executive pay 
policy, but it does receive regular updates from Claire Hawkings, 
Executive Vice President, Organisational Strategy & Company 
Performance (EVP – OS&CP).

The following differences exist between the Company’s policy 
for the remuneration of Executive Directors, as detailed in the 
summary table overleaf, and its approach to the payment of 
employees generally:

 ‑ benefits offered to other employees generally include a 
performance bonus award of up to 35 per cent of salary;

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85

GOVERNANCEREMUNERATION REPORT CONTINUED

Employment conditions elsewhere in the Group continued
 ‑ pension provision of a payment of 10 per cent of salary 
into our Company defined contribution plan, increasing 
to 15 per cent of salary for employees over 50; and

 ‑ participation in the TIP is limited to the Executive Directors 

and Senior Management according to their role and 
responsibility. All other employees are eligible to participate 
in the Company’s below Board‑level share‑based plans.

In general, these differences exist to ensure that remuneration 
arrangements are market competitive for all levels of role in 
the Company. Whilst there is a performance link to remuneration 
for all employees, in the case of the Executive Directors and 
Senior Management, a greater emphasis tends to be placed 
on variable pay given their opportunity to impact directly upon 
Company performance.

Summary of Directors’ Remuneration Policy
The table on pages 87 to 89 sets out a summary of each 
element of the Directors’ remuneration packages, their link to 
the Company’s strategy, the policy for how these are operated, 
the maximum opportunity and the performance framework. 
Although not part of the Remuneration Policy Report, the 
column to the right of the table also sets out how the 
Committee intends to apply the Policy for 2019.

Operation of share plans
The Committee will operate the TIP (and legacy plans) 
according to their respective rules and in accordance with 
the Listing Rules and HMRC rules where relevant.

The Committee, consistent with market practice, retains 
discretion over a number of areas relating to the operation and 
administration of the plans in relation to Senior Management, 
including Executive Directors. These include (but are not 
limited to) the following (albeit with the level of award 
restricted as set out in the Directors’ Remuneration Policy):

 ‑ who participates;

 ‑ the timing of grant of awards and/or payment;

 ‑ the size of awards and/or payment;

 ‑ discretion relating to the measurement of performance 
in the event of a change of control or reconstruction;

 ‑ determination of a good leaver (in addition to any specified 

categories) for incentive plan purposes and a good 
leaver’s treatment;

 ‑ adjustments to awards required in certain circumstances 
(e.g. Rights Issues, corporate restructuring and special 
dividends); and

 ‑ the ability to adjust existing performance conditions 

for exceptional events so that they can still fulfil their 
original purpose.

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Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

The choice of the performance metrics applicable to the TIP, 
which are set by the Committee at the start of the relevant 
financial year, reflects the Committee’s belief that any 
incentive compensation should be appropriately challenging 
and tied to the delivery of stretching financial, operational and 
TSR‑related objectives, explicitly linked to the achievement of 
Tullow’s long‑term strategy.

In addition to the TIP, Executive Directors are also eligible 
to participate in the UK SIP on the same terms as other 
employees. All‑employee share plans do not operate 
performance conditions.

Calculation of TIP awards
In addition to base salary and other benefits described in 
the Remuneration Policy, each Executive Director shall be 
eligible to receive an award issued under the rules of the 
TIP (‘a TIP award’). The TIP combines short‑ and long‑term 
incentive‑based pay and includes a cash bonus component 
and a deferred share award component.

At the beginning of each financial year, the Committee will 
determine a multiple of base salary, subject to the limits 
established under this Policy, to apply to a TIP award. At the 
same time the Committee will also determine a balanced 
corporate scorecard of performance metrics applicable to 
any TIP award. The choice of the performance metrics and the 
weightings given to them, which are set by the Committee at 
the start of the relevant financial year, reflect the Committee’s 
belief that any incentive compensation should be appropriately 
challenging and tied to the delivery of stretching financial, 
operational and Total Shareholder Return (TSR) related 
objectives, explicitly linked to the achievement of Tullow’s 
long‑term strategy.

Following completion of the financial year, the Committee 
will review the Company’s performance against the corporate 
scorecard resulting in a percentage score. The multiple set 
by the Committee is then applied to the percentage score to 
determine the total TIP award amount. A TIP award is divided 
equally between cash bonus and deferred shares up to the 
first 200 per cent of base salary. Any portion of a TIP award 
above 200 per cent of base salary shall be satisfied in deferred 
shares only. Deferred shares forming part of a TIP award are 
normally deferred for five years and are subject to malus and 
clawback. In its discretion, the Committee may elect to satisfy 
any portion of the cash bonus element of a TIP award in deferred 
shares which will be deferred for a period determined by the 
Committee, being not less than one year from the date of 
grant. Deferred shares issued in lieu of any portion of the 
cash bonus component of a TIP award shall be subject to 
malus, clawback and the minimum shareholding 
requirements set out on page 89 of this report. 

Legacy remuneration
For the avoidance of doubt, in approving this Directors’ 
Remuneration Policy, authority was given to the Company to 
honour any commitments entered into with current or former 
Directors that have been disclosed to shareholders in previous 
remuneration reports. Details of any payments to former 
Directors will be set out in the Annual Report on 
Remuneration as they arise.

GOVERNANCESummary Directors’ Remuneration Policy

BASE SALARY

Purpose and link to strategy

Operation

Maximum opportunity

To provide an appropriate level 
of fixed cash income.

To attract and retain individuals 
with the personal attributes, 
skills and experience required to 
deliver our strategy.

Generally reviewed annually with increases 
normally effective from 1 January. Base salaries 
will be set by the Committee taking into account:

 ‑ the scale, scope and responsibility of the role;

 ‑ the skills and experience of the individual;

 ‑ the base salary of other employees, including 

increases awarded to the wider population; and

 ‑ the base salary of individuals undertaking 

similar roles in companies of comparable size 
and complexity. This may include international 
oil and gas sector companies or a broader group 
of FTSE‑listed organisations.

Any increases to current Executive Director 
salaries, presented in the ‘Application of Policy 
in 2019’ column below this Policy table, will 
not normally exceed the average increase 
awarded to other UK‑based employees. 
Increases may be above this level in certain 
circumstances, for instance if there is an 
increase in the scale, scope or responsibility 
of the role or to allow the base salary of newly 
appointed Executives to move towards market 
norms as their experience and 
contribution increase.

Framework used to assess performance and provisions for the recovery of sums paid/payable

A broad assessment of individual and business performance is used as part of the salary 
review. No recovery provisions apply.

Application of Policy in 2019 (this forms part of the 
Annual Report on Remuneration and not part of the 
Policy Report)

Current Executive Director base salaries:

Paul McDade
Angus McCoss
Les Wood

2019

£769,155
£434,970
£461,495

PENSION AND BENEFITS

Purpose and link to strategy

Operation

Maximum opportunity

To attract and retain individuals 
with the personal attributes, 
skills and experience required 
to deliver our strategy.

Defined contribution pension scheme or salary 
supplement in lieu of pension. The Company does 
not operate or have any legacy defined benefit 
pension schemes.

Medical insurance, income protection and life 
assurance. Additional benefits may be provided 
as appropriate. 

Executive Directors may participate in the Tullow 
UK Share Incentive Plan (SIP).

Framework used to assess performance and provisions for the recovery of sums paid/payable

Not applicable.

Pension: 25 per cent of base salary.

Benefits: The range of benefits that may be 
provided is set by the Committee after taking 
into account local market practice in the 
country where the Executive is based. No 
monetary maximum is given for benefits 
provided to the Executive Directors as the cost 
will depend on individual circumstances.

Benefit values vary year‑on‑year depending on 
premiums and the maximum potential value is 
the cost of the provision of these benefits.

Tullow UK SIP: Up to HM Revenue & Customs 
(HMRC) limits, currently £150 per month. 
Maximum participation levels and matching 
levels for all staff, including Executive 
Directors, are set by reference to the rules 
of the plan and relevant legislation.

Application of Policy in 2019 (this forms part of the 
Annual Report on Remuneration and not part of the 
Policy Report)

No change.

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GOVERNANCESummary Directors’ Remuneration Policy continued

TULLOW INCENTIVE PLAN (TIP)

Purpose and link to strategy

Operation

Maximum opportunity

To provide a simple, competitive, 
performance‑linked incentive 
plan that:

 ‑ aligns the interests 
of management 
and shareholders;

 ‑ promotes the long‑term 
success of the Company; 

 ‑ provides a real incentive 
to achieve our strategic 
objectives and deliver 
superior shareholder 
returns; and

 ‑ will attract, retain and 

motivate individuals with the 
required personal attributes, 
skills and experience.

An annual TIP award consisting of up to 400 per cent 
of base salary which is divided evenly between cash 
and deferred shares up to the first 200 per cent of 
base salary. Any amount above 200 per cent of base 
salary is awarded entirely in deferred shares1.

The maximum amount of any award shall 
be established by the Committee at the 
beginning of each year of this Policy, provided 
it shall not exceed 400 per cent of salary for 
Executive Directors.

Deferred shares are normally subject for deferral 
until the fifth anniversary of grant, normally subject 
to continued service. 

TIP awards are non‑pensionable and will be made 
in line with the Committee’s assessment of 
performance targets.

At the discretion of the Committee, any portion of 
the cash component of a TIP award can be satisfied 
by granting deferred shares with a vesting date set 
by the Committee being not earlier than the first 
anniversary of grant.

Dividend equivalents will accrue on TIP 
deferred shares over the vesting period.

In the event that Tullow is a member of the 
FTSE 100 index for a full financial year during 
the term of this Remuneration Policy, the 
Committee reserves the discretion to increase 
the maximum TIP award opportunity from 400 
per cent of base salary to 500 per cent of base 
salary should the Committee determine it 
appropriate to do so in the circumstances.

Framework used to assess performance and provisions for the recovery of sums paid/payable

A balanced scorecard of stretching financial and operational objectives, linked to the 
achievement of Tullow’s long‑term strategy will be used to assess TIP outcomes. 

Specific targets and their weighting will vary from year to year in accordance with strategic 
priorities but may include targets relating to: relative or absolute Total Shareholder Return 
(TSR); earnings per share (EPS); environmental, health and safety (EHS); financial; production; 
operations; project; exploration; or specific strategic and personal objectives. At the end of 
each year the Committee will determine a performance score against each of the components 
of the corporate scorecard which will result in an aggregate performance score out of 100 per 
cent (KPI score). At least 50 per cent of any TIP award will be based on financial measures 
including TSR. 

Performance will typically be measured over one year for all measures apart from TSR and 
EPS, which, if adopted, will normally be measured over the three financial years prior to grant. 

For relative TSR, no more than 25 per cent of the maximum TIP opportunity will be payable for 
threshold performance with 100 per cent payable on delivering upper quartile performance. 

Non‑TSR targets will normally be based on a challenging sliding scale with 20 per cent of 
the maximum opportunity payable for threshold performance through to a maximum of 
100 per cent payable for delivering stretch performance. 

The Committee reserves the right to exercise its discretion in the event of exceptional and 
unforeseen positive or negative developments during the performance period. In addition, the 
Committee reserves the right to reduce the TIP payment where the Committee considers that 
the level of payment is not commensurate with overall corporate performance and returns 
delivered to shareholders over the performance period. 

The Committee will review performance measures annually, in terms of the range of targets, 
the measures themselves and weightings applied to each element of the TIP. Any revisions to 
the measures and/or weightings will only take place if it is necessary because of developments 
in the Group’s strategy and, where these are material, following appropriate consultation 
with shareholders. 

TIP awards are subject to malus and clawback. The Committee retains discretion to apply 
malus and clawback to both the cash and deferred share elements of the TIP during the 
five‑year vesting period in the event of a material adverse restatement of the financial accounts 
or reserves or a catastrophic failure of operational, EHS and risk management.

Application of Policy in 2019 (this forms part of the 
Annual Report on Remuneration and not part of the 
Policy Report)

The corporate scorecard for 2019 will consist of:

 ‑ 50 per cent based on relative TSR, over the 
three‑year period prior to grant, against a 
comparator group of oil and gas exploration 
companies with a threshold (25 per cent of 
the award) vesting at median performance 
and a maximum (100 per cent) vesting at 
upper quartile performance;

 ‑ 15 per cent based on quantitative business 
delivery measures including EHS, Production, 
financing and operational measures;

 ‑ 20 per cent based on key growth measures 

defined for each BDT; and

 ‑ 15 per cent based on measures related to 
pursuing our vision, under the categories 
of: Progressive; Sustainable; and 
leadership effectiveness.

The Committee has set specific targets for the 
above KPIs that are stretching and that are 
explicitly linked to the achievement of Tullow’s 
long‑term strategy. 

The Committee is of the opinion that, given the 
commercial sensitivity of Tullow’s non‑TSR‑
related KPIs, disclosing in advance precise 
targets for the TIP would not be in shareholders’ 
interests. Except in circumstances where 
elements remain commercially sensitive, 
actual targets, performance achieved and 
awards made will be published at the end of 
the performance periods so shareholders can 
fully assess the basis for any pay‑outs.

Details of actual performance against KPIs 
will be given retrospectively in the 2019 
Annual Report.

1.  Under the rules of the TIP, deferred shares may be awarded in the form of conditional shares, forfeitable shares or nil‑cost options. 

88

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

GOVERNANCEREMUNERATION REPORT CONTINUEDMINIMUM SHAREHOLDING REQUIREMENT

Purpose and link to strategy

Operation

To align the interests of 
management and shareholders 
and promote a long‑term 
approach to performance and 
risk management.

Executive Directors are required to retain at least 
50 per cent of post‑tax share awards until a 
minimum shareholding equivalent to 300 per cent 
of base salary is achieved in owned shares. 
Unvested TIP shares will not count towards the 
minimum shareholding requirement.

Shares included in this calculation are those held 
beneficially by the Executive Director and his or her 
spouse/civil partner. 

Maximum opportunity

Not applicable.

Framework used to assess performance and provisions for the recovery of sums paid/payable

Not applicable.

Application of Policy in 2019 (this forms part of the 
Annual Report on Remuneration and not part of the 
Policy Report)

No change.

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

Purpose and link to strategy

Operation

Maximum opportunity

To provide an appropriate fee 
level to attract individuals with 
the necessary experience and 
ability to make a significant 
contribution to the Group’s 
activities while also reflecting 
the time commitment and 
responsibility of the role.

The Chairman is paid an annual fee and the non‑
executive Directors are paid a base fee and 
additional responsibility fees for the role of Senior 
Independent Director or for chairing a Board 
Committee.

Fees are normally reviewed annually.

Each non‑executive Director is also entitled to a 
reimbursement of necessary travel and other 
expenses.

Non‑executive Directors do not participate in any 
share scheme or annual bonus scheme and are not 
eligible to join the Group’s pension schemes.

Non‑executive Director remuneration is 
determined within the limits set by the 
Articles of Association.

There is no maximum prescribed fee increase 
although fee increases for non‑executive 
Directors will not normally exceed the average 
increase awarded to Executive Directors. 
Increases may be above this level if there is an 
increase in the scale, scope or responsibility 
of the role.

Framework used to assess performance and provisions for the recovery of sums paid/payable

Not applicable.

Application of Policy in 2019 (this forms part of the 
Annual Report on Remuneration and not part of the 
Policy Report)

Current non‑executive Director fees:

20193 

2018

£65,000 

£300,000 

Chairman 
Non‑executive  
base fee 
Senior Independent  
Director2 
Audit Committee  
Chair 
Remuneration  
£15,000 
Committee Chair 
EHS Committee Chair  £15,000 

£15,000 

£20,000 

£280,000

£60,000

£10,000 

£20,000

£20,000
£15,000

2.  Senior Independent Director’s base fee was reduced from £40,000 to £10,000 effective from the conclusion of the Board meeting on 20 July 2018.

3.  All changes to fees effective 1 January 2019 were made following required approval and in consultation with relevant NED fee benchmark data.

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89

GOVERNANCE 
Remuneration scenarios for Executive Directors
The charts below show how the composition of the Executive 
Directors’ remuneration packages varies at different levels of 
performance under the Remuneration Policy, as a percentage 
of total remuneration opportunity and as a total value: 

The Executive Directors’ service agreements and the 
appointment letters of the non‑executive Directors are 
available for inspection by shareholders at the Company’s 
registered office.

External appointments
In 2018 the Board introduced a formal policy in relation to the 
external directorships that an Executive Director may hold. 
Whilst the policy does not prescribe a maximum number of 
external appointments, it sets out guidance that an Executive 
Director should not hold more than one non‑executive director 
position in a FTSE 350 company. During 2018, Angus McCoss 
sought the Board’s permission, which was agreed, to take 
up the role as senior independent director at Providence 
Resources plc where he was already in a non‑executive director 
role. In this, and other requests from Executive Directors 
to take up external appointments, the Board considers the 
individual’s aggregate time commitment anticipated by 
the new role against their current commitments to Tullow. 
In respect of Angus’ appointment, the Board agreed that 
he would retain his fee of €45,000 per annum.

Policy for new appointments
Base salary levels will take into account market data for the 
relevant role, internal relativities, the individual’s experience 
and their current base salary. Where an individual is recruited 
at below market norms, they may be re‑aligned over time 
(e.g. two to three years), subject to performance in the role. 
Benefits will generally be in accordance with the approved policy. 

Individuals will participate in the TIP up to the normal annual 
limit subject to: (i) award levels in the year of appointment 
being pro‑rated to reflect the proportion of the financial year 
worked; and (ii) where a performance metric is measured over 
more than one year, the proportion of awards based on that 
metric will normally be reduced to reflect the proportion 
of the performance period worked. The Committee may 
consider buying out incentive awards which an individual 
would forfeit upon leaving their current employer although 
any compensation would be consistent with respect to 
currency (i.e. cash for cash, equity for equity), vesting periods 
(i.e. there would be no acceleration of payments), expected 
values and the use of performance targets.

For an internal Executive Director appointment, any variable 
pay element awarded in respect of the prior role may be 
allowed to pay out according to its terms, adjusted as relevant 
to take account of the appointment. In addition, any other 
ongoing remuneration obligations existing prior to appointment 
may continue. For external and internal appointments, the 
Committee may agree that the Company will meet certain 
relocation and/or incidental expenses as appropriate.

Fee levels for non‑executive Director appointments will take 
into account the expected time commitment of the role and 
the current fee structure in place at that time. 

Paul 
McDade

Les 
Wood

Angus 
McCoss

Fixed

Target

Maximum

Fixed

Target

Maximum

Fixed

Target

Maximum

£m

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

 Fixed pay 

 TIP (cash) 

 TIP (deferred shares)

1.  Base salaries are those effective as at 1 January 2019.

2.  Fixed pay includes pensions which are based on a 25 per cent 

employer contribution.

3.  The target TIP award is taken to be 50 per cent of the maximum 

annual opportunity for 2019 (200 per cent of salary) for all 
Executive Directors.

4.  The maximum value of the TIP is taken to be 400 per cent of salary 

(i.e. the maximum annual opportunity) for 2019.

5.  No share price appreciation has been assumed. 

6.  The Committee is aware of the new regulations requiring an indication 
of the impact of 50 per cent share price appreciation on the maximum 
scenario in the chart above. Given that TSR performance is measured 
over three years prior to grant of award, share price appreciation 
over the performance period would not impact on the value of the 
maximum award.

Service agreements
Each Executive Director entered into a new service agreement 
with Tullow Group Services Limited in 2017. Each service 
agreement sets out restrictions on the ability of the Director 
to participate in businesses competing with those of the 
Group or to entice or solicit away from the Group any senior 
employees in the six months after ceasing employment. The 
above reflects the Committee’s policy that service contracts 
should be structured to reflect the interests of the Group and 
the individuals concerned, while also taking due account of 
market and best practice.

The term of each service contract is not fixed. Each agreement 
is terminable by the Director on six months’ notice and by the 
employing company on 12 months’ notice.

90

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

GOVERNANCEREMUNERATION REPORT CONTINUEDPolicy for loss of office 
Executive Directors’ service contracts are terminable by the 
Director on six months’ notice and by the relevant employing 
company on 12 months’ notice. There are no specific provisions 
under which Executive Directors are entitled to receive 
compensation upon early termination, other than in 
accordance with the notice period.

On termination of an Executive Director’s service contract, 
the Committee will take into account the departing Director’s 
duty to mitigate his loss when determining the amount of any 
compensation. Disbursements such as legal and outplacement 
costs and incidental expenses may be payable where appropriate.

Any unvested awards held under the Tullow Oil 2005 DSBP 
(the last awards were granted to Executive Directors in 2013) 
will lapse at cessation of employment unless the individual 
is a good leaver (defined under the plan as death, injury or 

disability, redundancy, retirement, his office or employment 
being either a company which ceases to be a Group member 
or relating to a business or part of a business which is 
transferred to a person who is not a Group member or any 
other reason the Committee so decides). For a good leaver, 
unvested awards will normally vest at cessation of employment 
(unless the Committee decides they should vest at the normal 
vesting date).

Any unvested awards held under the Tullow Oil 2005 PSP 
(the last awards were granted to Executive Directors in 2013) 
will lapse at cessation of employment unless the individual 
is a good leaver (defined as per the DSBP). For a good leaver, 
unvested awards will normally vest at the normal vesting date 
(unless the Committee decides they should vest at cessation 
of employment) subject to performance conditions and time 
pro‑rating (unless the Committee decides that the application 
of time pro‑rating is inappropriate).

The Committee’s policy in respect of the treatment of Executive Directors leaving Tullow following the introduction of the TIP is 
described below:

TIP 
(cash)

Cessation of employment due to death, injury, disability, retirement, redundancy, the 
participant’s employing company or business for which they work being sold out of the 
Company’s Group or in other circumstances at the discretion of the Committee

Cessation during a financial year, or after the year but prior to the normal TIP 
award date, may, at the discretion of the Committee, result in the cash part of 
the TIP being paid following the date of cessation (pro‑rated for the proportion 
of the year worked). 

TIP  
(deferred shares)

Cessation during a financial year, or after the year but prior to the normal TIP 
award date, may, at the discretion of the Committee, result in an award of 
deferred shares being made (pro‑rated for the proportion of the year worked). 

Unvested TIP shares generally vest at the normal vesting date (except on death 
or retirement – see below) unless the Committee determines they should vest 
at cessation.

On death, TIP shares generally vest immediately unless the Committee 
determines that they should vest at the normal vesting date.

On retirement (as evidenced to the satisfaction of the Committee), TIP shares 
will vest at the earlier of the normal vesting date and three years from 
retirement unless the Committee determines they should vest at cessation.

Non-executive Director terms of appointment

Cessation of employment due to other 
reasons (e.g. termination for cause)

No entitlement to the cash part 
of the TIP following the date 
notice is served.

Unvested TIP shares lapse. 
No entitlement to the deferred 
share element of the TIP 
following the date notice 
is served.

Non‑executive Director

Dorothy Thompson

Tutu Agyare

Mike Daly

Steve Lucas

Jeremy Wilson

Number of 
complete 
years on  

the Board

Date of 
current 
engagement 
commenced

Expiry of 
current term

Year 
appointed

2018

2010

2014

2012

2013

0

8

4

6

5

25.04.18

24.04.21

24.08.16

23.08.19

31.05.17

30.05.20

13.03.18

13.03.21

21.10.16

20.10.19

In each case, the appointment is renewable thereafter if agreed by the Director and the Board. The appointment of any non‑executive 
Director may be terminated by either party on three months’ notice. There are no arrangements under which any non‑executive 
Director is entitled to receive compensation upon the early termination of his or her appointment.

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91

GOVERNANCEANNUAL REPORT ON REMUNERATION
This part of the report provides details of the operation of the 
Remuneration Committee, how the Remuneration Policy was 
implemented in 2018 (including payment and awards in 
respect of incentive arrangements) and how shareholders 
voted at the 2018 AGM. 

Remuneration Committee membership and meetings 
The Committee currently comprises three non‑executive 
Directors and is chaired by Tutu Agyare. The membership and 
attendance of members at Committee meetings held in 2018 
are shown below.

Committee member

Tutu Agyare (Chair)

Mike Daly

Jeremy Wilson

Meetings attended

4/4

4/4

4/4

Committee’s main responsibilities 
 ‑ Determining and agreeing with the Board the remuneration 

policy for the Chief Executive Officer, the Chairman, 
Executive Directors and Senior Executives.

 ‑ Reviewing progress made against performance targets and 

agreeing incentive awards.

 ‑ Reviewing the design of share incentive plans for approval 
by the Board and shareholders and determining the policy 
on annual awards to Executive Directors and Senior 
Executives under existing plans.

 ‑ Within the terms of the agreed policy, determining the 
remainder of the remuneration packages (principally 
comprising salary and pension) for each Executive Director 
and Senior Executive.

 ‑ Monitoring the level and structure of remuneration for 

Senior Management.

 ‑ Reviewing and noting the remuneration trends across 

the Group.

The Committee’s terms of reference are reviewed annually 
and can be viewed on the Company’s website.

Committee’s advisers
The Committee invites individuals to attend meetings to 
provide advice so as to ensure that the Committee’s decisions 
are informed and take account of pay and conditions in the 
Group as a whole. Sources of advice include:

 ‑ Dorothy Thompson, Chair;

 ‑ Paul McDade, Chief Executive Officer;

 ‑ Claire Hawkings, EVP – OS&CP; and

 ‑ further to a formal tender process, including consideration 
of its independence and objectivity, PwC LLP was appointed 
as adviser to the Remuneration Committee in June 2016 for 
the purpose of advising on the Company’s 2017 Directors’ 
Remuneration Policy.

The total fees paid to PwC in respect of the advice provided for 
2018 totalled £25,000 (excluding VAT) and related to the review 
of the 2017 Directors’ Remuneration Report, benchmarking 
and related issues. PwC LLP is a member of the 
Remuneration Consultants Group and as such voluntarily 
operates under the code of conduct in relation to executive 
remuneration consulting in the UK. PwC LLP also provided 
tax and consulting services to Tullow during the year.

The Committee has access to the Company Secretary at all 
times, who advises as necessary and, where appropriate, 
makes arrangements for the Committee to receive independent 
legal advice at the request of the Committee Chair. 

The Committee also consults with the Company’s major 
investors and investor representative groups as appropriate. 
No Director takes part in any decision directly affecting his or 
her own remuneration. The Company Chair also absents 
herself during discussion relating to her own fees.

Looking forward to 2019
 ‑ The Committee will review the suitability of the Directors’ 

Remuneration Policy ahead of the shareholders vote at the 
AGM in 2020.

 ‑ The Committee will consult with major shareholders on 

the suitability of the current Directors’ Remuneration Policy 
and any proposed changes to it ahead of the AGM in 2020.

 ‑ The Committee will continue to review the remuneration 
arrangements of the wider workforce when considering 
arrangements for Executives and Senior Management.

92

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

GOVERNANCEREMUNERATION REPORT CONTINUEDDirectors’ remuneration (audited)
The remuneration of the Directors for the year ended 31 December 2018 payable by Group companies and comparative figures 
for 2017 are shown in the table below:

Executive Directors

Paul McDade

Angus McCoss

Les Wood

Fixed pay

Tullow Incentive Plan

Salary/fees 1
£

Pensions 2
£

Taxable
benefits 3
£

TIP cash 4
£

Deferred TIP
shares 5
£

Total 
£

2018

2017

2018

2017

2018

2017

746,750

186,687

654,460

163,615

422,300

105,575

462,920

115,730

448,050

112,012

431,945

78,890

25,086

10,500

12,661

12,270

1,304

1,310

746,750 1,054,411 2,759,684

519,641

519,641

1,867,857

422,300

596,288 1,559,124

367,557

367,557

1,326,034

448,050

632,647 1,642,063

277,516

277,516

1,067,177

Subtotal 2018

2018 1,617,100

404,274

39,051

1,617,100 2,283,346 5,960,871

Subtotal 2017 includes former Executive Directors

2017

2,096,970

620,095

97,940

1,996,063

1,996,063

6,863,886

Non-executive Directors

Aidan Heavey6

Dorothy Thompson6

Tutu Agyare

Mike Daly7

Anne Drinkwater8

Steve Lucas

Jeremy Wilson9

Subtotal 2018

2018

2017

2018

2017

2018

2017

2018

2017

2018

2017

2018

2017

2018

2017

2018

155,342

489,710

139,945

n/a

80,000

73,570

70,247

60,000

23,887

75,000

80,000

80,000

86,520

100,000

635,941

Subtotal 2017 includes former non‑executive Directors

2017

1,004,960

–

–

–

n/a

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

11,375

–

–

n/a

36,540

22,192

–

–

22,684

10,240

991

–

6,011

5,630

77,601

38,062

–

–

–

–

–

–

166,717

489,710

139,945

n/a

n/a

n/a

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

116,540

95,762

70,247

60,000

46,571

85,240

80,991

80,000

92,531

105,630

713,542

1,043,022

Total

2018 2,253,041

404,274

116,652

1,617,100 2,283,346 6,674,413

2017

3,101,930

620,095

136,002

1,996,063

1,996,063

7,906,908

1.  Base salaries of the Executive Directors have been rounded up to the nearest £10 for payment purposes, in line with established policy.

2.  None of the Executive Directors have a prospective entitlement to a defined benefit pension by reference to qualifying services. 

3.  Taxable benefits comprise private medical insurance for all Executive Directors and any other taxable expenses. Travel and subsistence benefits 
provided to Executive Directors and NEDs have also been included on a grossed‑up basis as Tullow meets the UK tax liability on their behalf.

4.  TIP cash figures have been calculated based on total base salary receivable in FY18 taking into account all pay changes agreed and implemented for 

Executive Directors in 2018. 

5.  These figures represent that part of the TIP award required to be deferred into shares. The Committee is aware of the new regulations requiring 

disclosure of the impact of the share price appreciation on the value of vesting of multiple year incentives. Given that the TSR performance for the 
TIP is measured prior to grant of awards, the value disclosed in the single figure table (2013 onwards) is the value on grant. For this reason it is not 
applicable to show the impact of share price appreciation on vesting and no discretion was applied as a result of the share price.

6.  Aidan Heavey stepped down from the Board as Chairman following the Board meeting on 20 July 2018. Dorothy Thompson was appointed Chair 

following this meeting effective 21 July 2018.

7.   Mike Daly was appointed as Chair of the EHS Committee following the AGM on 25 April 2018.

8.   Anne Drinkwater stepped down from the Board following the AGM on 25 April 2018.

9.   Effective 21 July 2018, the SID fee paid to Jeremy was reduced to £10,000 per annum; previously the SID fee was £40,000.

www.tullowoil.com

93

GOVERNANCEMaterial contracts
There have been no other contracts or arrangements during the financial year in which a Director of the Company was 
materially interested and/or which were significant in relation to the Group’s business. 

Payments to past Directors
As previously reported, the Remuneration Committee awarded Ian Springett a TIP award over £245,381 in cash and a deferred 
share award to the same cash value for his service to the Company in 2017. The cash bonus payment and grant of deferred 
share award were made in February 2018. 

A cash bonus of £585,968 and a share award to the same cash value was also awarded to Aidan Heavey in February 2018, as 
previously reported.

Payments for loss of office
No payments for loss of office where made to Executive Directors in 2018.

Details of variable pay earned in the year
Determination of 2019 TIP award based on performance to 31 December 2018 (audited) 
The Group’s progress against its corporate scorecard is tracked during the year to assess its performance against its strategy. 
The corporate scorecard is made up of a collection of key performance indicators (KPIs) which indicate the Company’s overall 
health and performance across a range of operational, financial and non‑financial measures. The corporate scorecard is central 
to Tullow’s approach to performance management and the 2018 indicators were agreed with the Board and focus on targets that were 
deemed important for the year. Each KPI measured has a percentage weighting and financial indicators have trigger, base and 
stretch performance targets. Following the end of the 2018 financial year, the corporate scorecard KPI performance was 60.3 per cent 
of the maximum and the Committee awarded Executive Directors a total TIP award equating to 241.2 per cent of base salary. 
An amount equal to 100 per cent of base salary will be payable as a cash bonus and the remainder in shares deferred for five years 
(i.e. vesting in 2024). Details of the performance targets which operated and performance against those targets are as follows: 

% of award
(% of salary 
maximum)

5%
(20%)

Actual

5%
(20%)

22%
(88%)

18.9%
(75.6%)

Performance metric

Performance

Financing our 
business

Ensuring sufficient liquidity to deliver the business plan was achieved by having a debt facilities 
headroom and free cash in excess of $1 billion.

Key targets relating to 
ensuring sufficient 
liquidity and executing 
a long‑term strategic 
solution to deleverage 
and rebase the 
balance sheet

Safe and efficient 
business operations 

Targets relating to 
production, opex, 
net G&A and capex, 
operational projects, 
organisation 
effectiveness and 
SSEA. These targets 
focused on 
delivering business 
activities and 
projects safely 
whilst minimising 
environmental 
impacts and 
delivering 
sustainable benefits

An $800 million seven‑year high‑yield bond was successfully issued with a 7 per cent coupon. 
The proceeds were used to refinance the existing $650 million 2020 Bond and repay 
$150 million of drawings under the Reserves Based Lending facility. The gearing target was 
ahead of target at 1.9x debt:EBITDAX.

As part of the review of our strategic financing targets, the Board considered our capital 
structure, scale of funding, timing and related costs before arriving at a score of 5 per cent.

Production

Production

mboepd

Payout

Trigger target

Base target

Stretch target

2018 performance

72.1

0%

77.5

50%

82.9

100%

81.4

86%

The above production numbers exclude the lost production covered by business interruption 
insurance. Including the impact of insured barrels from the Jubilee field, Group working 
interest production is 90,000 boepd.

Opex/boe

Opex/boe

$/boe 

Payout

Trigger target

Base target

Stretch target

2018 performance

11.9

0%

11.1

50%

10.3

100%

10

100%

The operating costs are net of insurance proceeds.

Net G&A

Net G&A

Net G&A ($)

Payout

Capex

Capex

Capex

Payout

Trigger target

Base target

Stretch target

2018 performance

109

0%

100

50%

95

100%

90

100%

Trigger target

Base target

Stretch target

2018 performance

490

0%

458

50%

426

100%

423

100%

The capex numbers have been adjusted to remove Uganda. Decommissioning capex is not 
included above and is $99 million (budget: $101 million).

94

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

GOVERNANCEREMUNERATION REPORT CONTINUEDPerformance metric

Performance

% of award
(% of salary 
maximum)

Actual

SSEA
Tullow’s SSEA targets are focused on reducing process safety events, making improvements 
to our occupational health and safety and ensuring sustainability.

In 2018 there were no Tier 1 process safety incidents. Tullow’s LTIF rate dropped to 0.28 due 
to reporting three lost time injuries compared to four in 2017. There were no serious malaria 
cases reported. Tullow’s ESIA obligations were met and there were no significant environment 
regulatory non‑compliances. We met our local content expenditure targets in Ghana, Kenya 
and Uganda. 

In view of the above performance the Committee determined a 3.5 per cent achievement out 
of a maximum 5 per cent allocation.

Delivery of operational projects
The Jubilee turret was successfully stabilised in July 2018. The final rotation was achieved in 
December and the final spreads mooring solution is on schedule for completion in Q1 2019.

New Ventures wildcat drilling programme in Namibia (Cormorant) was delivered safely and to 
budget but unfortunately did not encounter oil. Ghana delivered a second rig and the Ghana 
drilling programme successfully drilled five wells. 

Kenya First Oil was trucked out of Turkana on 3 June 2018. After shut‑down for a few weeks due 
to community grievances, the trucking has continued after the Government of Kenya gazetted the 
Turkana Grievance Management Committee and Inter‑Ministerial Committee, operations have 
been stable and 58,000 bbls were trucked in December 2018. In view of the performance the 
Committee determined an allocation of 5 per cent out of a maximum allocation of 5 per cent.

Organisation effectiveness
An inclusion and diversity workshop was held with the new Executive Team to endorse the forward 
plan of management and a new Executive sub‑group was established to promote the inclusion 
and diversity aims. Some positive progress has been made on improving workforce diversity. 

The biennial employee survey had a 90 per cent participation rate and showed improvement 
in the target areas of Talent and Development, Communication and Engagement and Policies 
and Procedures. Senior Management showed improvement, but still needs further 
addressing. Trust continues to be an area of concern.

100 per cent compliance was achieved when all employees completed the Code of Ethical 
Conduct online course and our Code Certification process was achieved. There were four 
breaches of compliance regarding the Company’s ExPo Standard.

Information security has shown an improvement in awareness through intensive training 
and testing. In view of this the Committee determined an allocation of 3.1 per cent out of 
a maximum allocation of 4 per cent.

Growing our 
business

The business development and growth targets reflect the portfolio and long‑term growth 
strategy of the Company. They focus on value creation and seeking opportunities.

18.0%
(72.0%)

11.0%
(44.0%)

Target 2018

6.0% 4.0%

KPI

Outcome

West Africa growth

West Africa

 ‑ Accelerate Ghana 

production ramp‑up

 ‑ Secure material value 

growth opportunities in 
West Africa core area

Drilling operations resumed in Ghana in March 2018. 
A second rig was added later in October 2018 to 
further accelerate production growth.

At Jubilee, these operations brought online two 
production wells and an additional water injector 
in 2018. A production well was also brought online 
at TEN, with another due online early in the new 
year. These activities contributed to a growth in 
2018 TEN gross production of c.8,500Kbopd, and 
will deliver material additional production from 
both fields from 2019.

Across the non‑operated portfolio, 12.5 MMboe 
were added to 2P reserves, representing 160 per cent 
reserves replacement. 2C resources also grew by 
c.25 MMboe in 2018.

www.tullowoil.com

95

GOVERNANCE% of award
(% of salary 
maximum)

Actual

Details of variable pay earned in the year continued
Determination of 2019 TIP award based on performance to 31 December 2018 (audited) continued

Performance metric

Performance

Growing our 
business continued 

KPI

East Africa growth

East Africa

 ‑ Commercialise Kenya 

investment

 ‑ Complete SPA and FID 
Uganda development

New Ventures

 ‑ Access and portfolio 
management and 
effective proceeds

 ‑ Inventory progress and 

planning for 2019

 ‑ Exploration outcome

New Ventures 
growth

Target

2018

6.0% 3.0%

6.0% 4.0%

Outcome

In Kenya, successful completion of the ‘Select 
to Define Gate’ took place and the ESIAs for the 
upstream and midstream projects are ongoing, 
in parallel with the FEEDs. Both the upstream 
and midstream Phase 1 FEEDs are complete, 
with FEED Phase 2 due for completion by the 
end of Q1 2019.

In Uganda, we continue to work with our Joint 
Venture Partners to facilitate the closure of the 
Sales and Purchase Agreement. FID is targeted 
for the first half of 2019.

New licences in Côte d’Ivoire and Suriname. 
Increase equity in licences in Guyana and 
Suriname.

Tullow has exited Greenland and Ethiopia and is 
progressing the Pakistan exit. 

Over $45 million of value has been generated for 
the Group through farm‑down deals entered into 
in 2018, attracting quality partners.

Excellent progress was made in prospects in Guyana.

The Cormorant well (Namibia) was delivered safety 
and to budget, but did not encounter any hydrocarbons.

Discretionary based  
on leadership 
effectiveness 
including 
management of 
unforeseen events

 ‑ The purpose of this performance element is to consider the effectiveness of the Executive 
Leadership of Tullow which shall include: effectiveness of Executive Team; Executive Team 
cohesion; demonstration of leadership; and management of unforeseen matters throughout 
the year. The below were taken into consideration in the scoring of the discretionary element.

 ‑  The continued focus of the Executive Team on aligning our workforce on clarity of purpose; 

setting the right tone; reinforcing the importance of Tullow Values; and prioritising 
employee engagement. 

5.0%
(20.0%)

 3.5%
(14%)

 ‑ The role of the Executive in ensuring appropriate preparation (e.g. stakeholder management 
plan, resource allocation and messaging) for the Seadrill case. Tullow lost, with the ICC 
ruling in favour of Kosmos which was subsequently not liable for its share of disputed costs.

 ‑ Stakeholder relationships in Ghana and Kenya.

Relative TSR 
(Total Shareholder 
Return)1

Performance against a bespoke group of listed exploration and production companies 
measured over three years to 31 December 2018 – 25 per cent is payable at median, 
increasing to 100 per cent payable at upper quartile. 

Total

50.0%
(200.0%)

21.9%
(87.6%)

100.0%
(400.0%)

60.3%
(241.2%)

1.   The TSR comparator group for the 2018 TIP award was as follows: Apache, Anadarko Petroleum, Cairn Energy, Canadian Natural Resources, 
Cobalt Energy, Conoco Phillips, Hess, Kosmos Energy, Lundin Petroleum, Marathon Oil, Noble Energy, Oil Search, Ophir Energy, Premier Oil, 
Santos, SOCO International and Woodside Petroleum.

Further information on Tullow Group’s performance against the corporate scorecard is shown on pages 19 to 23 of the Annual 
Report and Accounts.

TIP awards granted in 2018 (audited)
The fifth set of TIP awards were granted to Executive Directors on 8 February 2018, based on the performance period ended 
31 December 2017, as follows:

Executive

Paul McDade

Angus McCoss

Les Wood

Number of TIP 
shares awarded 1

Face value of awards at 
grant date

Normal vesting dates 
(end of exercise window)

Pre‑grant 
performance period

278,628

197,082

148,802

£519,641

£367,557

£277,516

08.02.2023

01.01.2017 to 31.12.2017
(TSR 01.01.2015 to 31.12.2017)

1.  Awards are made in the form of nil‑cost options, the face value of the awards is equal to the TIP cash bonus awarded for the year ended 31 December 2017 

and the number of shares awarded is calculated using the price on the day preceding the grant date which on 7 February 2018 was 186.5p.

96

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

GOVERNANCEREMUNERATION REPORT CONTINUEDUK SIP shares awarded in 2018 (audited) 
The UK SIP is a tax‑favoured all‑employee plan that enables UK employees to save out of pre‑tax salary. Quarterly contributions 
are used by the plan trustee to buy Tullow Oil plc shares (partnership shares). The Group funds an award of an equal number of 
shares (matching shares). The current maximum contribution is £150 per month. Details of shares purchased and awarded to 
Executive Directors under the UK SIP are as follows:

Director

Paul McDade

Angus McCoss

Les Wood

Shares held 
01.01.18

Partnership 
shares acquired 
in year

Matching 
shares awarded 
in year

Total shares held 
31.12.18

SIP shares that 
became 
unrestricted  

in year

Total unrestricted
 shares held at
31.12.18 1

15,691

9,752

1,659

881

881

881

881

881

881

17,453

11,514

3,421

314

314

–

9,305

3,366

–

1.  Unrestricted shares (which are included in the total shares held at 31 December 2018) are those which no longer attract a tax liability if they are 

withdrawn from the plan.

CEO – total pay versus TSR
For 2018 the CEO total pay is based on an annualised summation of base pay, pension, benefits and TIP cash bonus and share 
award equivalent value for Paul McDade.

CEO – TOTAL PAY VERSUS TSR

TOTAL SHAREHOLDER RETURN 

TSR

250

200

150

100

50

0

Total pay £000

5,000

500

4,000

400

3,000

300

2,000

200

1,000

100

0

0

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

 TSR 

 CEO total pay

 Tullow 

 FTSE 100

 FTSE 250

Comparison of overall performance and pay
As a member of both indices in recent times, the Remuneration Committee has chosen to compare the TSR of the Company’s 
ordinary shares against both the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices. 

The values indicated in the graph above show the share price growth plus re‑invested dividends for the period 2008 to 2018 from 
a £100 hypothetical holding of ordinary shares in Tullow Oil plc and in the two indices. 

The total remuneration figures for the Chief Executive during each of the last nine financial years are shown in the tables 
overleaf. For 2017, total remuneration figures are shown for Aidan Heavey based on the period he held the office of Chief 
Executive Officer and for the transition period up to 31 October 2017 and for Paul McDade from 27 April 2017 when he 
commenced in his office of Chief Executive. The total remuneration figure includes the annual bonus based on that year’s 
performance (2010 to 2018), PSP awards based on three‑year performance periods ending in the relevant year (2010 to 2012) 
and the value of TIP awards based on the performance period ending in the relevant year (2013 to 2018). The annual bonus 
pay‑out, PSP vesting level and TIP award, as a percentage of the maximum opportunity, are also shown for each of these years.

www.tullowoil.com

97

GOVERNANCEComparison of overall performance and pay continued

Year ending in

Aidan Heavey

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Total 
remuneration £3,558,698 £4,688,541 £2,623,116 £2,750,273 £2,378,316 £2,835,709 £2,893,232 £1,717,276

Annual bonus

PSP vesting

TIP

58%

100%

–

80%

100%

–

70%

23%

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

30%

23%

38%

39%

40%

–

–

–

–

Paul McDade

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Year ending in

Total 
remuneration

Annual bonus

PSP vesting

TIP

n/a

n/a

n/a

–

n/a

n/a

n/a

–

n/a

n/a

n/a

–

n/a

n/a

–

n/a

n/a

n/a

–

n/a

n/a

n/a

–

n/a

n/a £1,416,281

£2,759,684

n/a

–

n/a

–

–

–

–

40%

60.3%

Percentage change in Chief Executive’s remuneration
The table below shows the percentage change in the Chief Executive’s total remuneration (excluding the value of any pension 
benefits receivable in the year) between the financial year ended 31 December 2017 and 31 December 2018, compared to 
that of the average for all employees of the Group. Base pay and bonus for Paul McDade for 2017 have been annualised for 
calculation purposes.

Chief Executive

Average employees

% change from 2017 to 2018

Benefits

138.9%*

0%

Salary

3%

6.2%

Bonus

30%

20.7%

*  This significant increase was driven by the addition of a taxable travel expense incurred in FY18.

CEO pay ratio 2018

Year

2018

Method

A

25th percentile 
pay ratio

Median 
pay ratio

75th percentile 
pay ratio

23:1

15:1

10:1

In response to the CEO pay ratio requirements established by the Companies (Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018, Tullow 
has undertaken to adopt the calculation of a CEO pay ratio to compare the single total figure of remuneration (STFR) for the CEO 
to the STFR of all UK employees. This has been calculated using the methodology described as ‘Option A’ in the Regulations, as 
Tullow recognises that this is the most statistically accurate form of calculation.

For the CEO and each UK employee* the STFR has been calculated as a summation of base pay, benefits, employer pension 
contributions receivable during the year ended 31 December 2018 and cash bonus payable and value of share awards to be 
granted for the performance year ending 31 December 2018.

*  All STFRs have been based on a full‑time equivalent and annualised to provide a dataset for the full year ending 31 December 2018. Tullow 

would like to build on this reporting in future years by looking at the same datasets for employees globally to determine a global CEO pay ratio.

The STFR at 25th percentile is £119,642, £186,222 at median and £278,605 at 75th percentile.

The wages component at 25th percentile is £76,390, £120,230 at median and £161,900 at 75th percentile.

In setting both our CEO remuneration and the remuneration structures for the wider UK workforce, Tullow has adopted 
a remuneration structure which includes the same core components for employees at all levels (base pay, benefits, pension, 
cash bonus and share awards). Whilst all employees receive a base salary commensurate to our position in the market, the 
differences exist in the quantum of variable pay achievable by our Executives and Senior Management; at these levels there is 
a greater emphasis placed on variable pay given their opportunity to impact directly on Company performance. Based on this 
distinction, the Company believes that the median pay ratio is consistent with our wider pay, reward and progression policies 
impacting our UK employees.

98

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

GOVERNANCEREMUNERATION REPORT CONTINUEDRelative importance of spend on pay
The following table shows the Group’s actual spend on pay for all employees relative to tax and retained profits.

Staff costs have been compared to tax expense, and retained profits in order to provide a measure of their scale compared to 
other key elements of the Group’s financial metrics.

Staff costs (£m)
Tax (credit)/expense (£m)*
Retained profits (£m)*

*  Voluntary disclosure.

2017

159.4
(85.9)
504.9

2018

142.4
131.3
497.7

% change

(10.7)
(252.9)
(1.4)

Shareholder voting at the AGM
At last year’s AGM on 25 April 2018 the remuneration‑related resolution received the following votes from shareholders:

For

Against

Total votes cast (for and against)

Votes withheld

2017 Annual Statement and Annual Report on Remuneration

Total number of votes

% of votes cast

839,529,339 

57,745,658 

897,274,997

40,262,649 

93.56 

6.44

100

Summary of past TIP awards
Details of nil‑cost options granted to Executive Directors under the TIP: 

Director

Paul McDade

Angus McCoss

Les Wood2

Award grant 
date

Share price on 
grant date

As at 01.01.18

Granted 
during year

Exercised 
during the year

As at 31.12.18

Earliest date 
shares can be
acquired 1

Latest date 
shares can be 
acquired

19.02.14

18.02.15

11.02.16

27.04.17

08.02.18

19.02.14

18.02.15

11.02.16

27.04.17

08.02.18

18.02.15 

11.02.16

27.04.17

08.02.18

774p

400p

148p

214p

187p

774p

400p

148p

214p

187p

400p

148p

214p

187p

68,334

101,364

375,157

226,927

–

771,782

68,334

101,364

375,157

226,927

–

771,782

31,390

160,053

101,249

–

292,692

–

–

–

–

278,628

278,628

–

–

–

–

197,082

197,082

–

–

–

148,802

148,802

–

–

–

–

–

–

68,334

19.02.17

19.02.24

101,364

18.02.19

18.02.25

375,157

11.02.21

11.02.26

226,927

27.04.22

27.04.27

278,628

08.02.23

08.02.28

1,050,410

68,334

–

19.02.17

19.02.24

–

–

–

–

68,334

31,390

101,364

375,157

226,927

197,082

900,530

18.02.19

18.02.25

11.02.21

11.02.26

27.04.22

27.04.27

08.02.23

08.02.28

–

18.02.18

18.02.25

–

–

–

160,053

101,249

148,802

11.02.19

11.02.26

27.04.20

27.07.27

08.02.23

08.02.28

31,390

410,104

1.  50 per cent of the 2014 award vests on 19 February 2017 and 50 per cent vests on 19 February 2018; 50 per cent of the 2015 award vests on 

18 February 2019 and 50 per cent vests on 18 February 2020.

2.  Les Wood – TIP awards granted prior to appointment as an Executive Director have a three‑year vesting period. In addition to the TIP awards, 

at 1 January 2018 Les Wood had outstanding Employee Share Award Plan (ESAP) awards totalling 82,601; these were exercised on 30 August 2018.

www.tullowoil.com

99

GOVERNANCESummary of past 2005 Performance Share Plan (PSP) 
Details of shares granted to Executive Directors for nil consideration under the PSP: 

Director

Paul McDade

Award grant 
date

Share price on 
grant date

As at 01.01.18

Exercised 
during year

As at 31.12.18

18.03.09

17.03.10

778p

1,281p

115,392

16,392

131,784

–

–

–

115,392

16,392

131,784

Earliest date 
shares can be 
acquired

Latest date 
shares can be 
acquired

18.03.12

17.03.13

18.03.19

17.03.20

All of the PSP awards listed are based on relative three‑year TSR performance and the Committee considering that both the 
Group’s underlying financial performance and its performance against other key factors (e.g. health and safety) over the relevant 
period are satisfactory. 50 per cent of awards are/were measured against an international oil sector comparator group (see past 
Remuneration Reports for details of specific companies) and 50 per cent of awards are/were measured against the FTSE 100. 
All outstanding awards under PSP have been granted as, or converted into, nil exercise price options. To the extent that they 
vest, they are normally exercisable from three to 10 years from grant.

Summary of past Deferred Share Bonus Plan (DSBP) awards 
Details of nil exercise cost options granted to Executive Directors for nil consideration under the DSBP:

Director 

Paul McDade

Award grant 
date

As at 01.01.18

Exercised
during year

As at 31.12.18

18.03.09

17.03.10

18.03.11

21.03.12

22.02.13

33,289

18,702

13,266

30,291

30,287

125,835

–

–

–

–

–

–

33,289

18,702

13,266

30,291

30,287

125,835

Earliest date 
shares can be 
acquired

Latest date 
shares can be 
acquired

01.01.12

01.01.13

01.01.14

01.01.15

01.01.16

18.03.19

17.03.20

18.03.21

21.03.22

22.02.23

All outstanding awards under the DSBP were granted as, or have been converted into, nil exercise price options. To the extent 
that they vest, they are exercisable from three to 10 years from grant.

Share price range
During 2018, the highest mid‑market price of the Company’s shares was 276p and the lowest was 165.15p. The year‑end price 
was 179.01p.

100

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

GOVERNANCEREMUNERATION REPORT CONTINUEDDirectors’ interests in the share capital of the Company (audited)
The interests of the Directors (all of which were beneficial), who held office at 31 December 2018 or during FY 2018, are set out 
in the table below: 

of salary 
%
under 2018
Remuneration
Policy
shareholding
guidelines 1

Ordinary shares held

01.01.18

31.12.18

TIP awards

PSP awards

DSBP awards

SIP

Total

Unvested

Vested

Unvested

Vested

Unvested

Vested

Restricted

Unrestricted

31.12.18

Paul 
McDade

Angus 
McCoss

Les Wood

Tutu Agyare

Mike Daly

Anne 
Drinkwater2

Aidan 
Heavey3

Steve 
Lucas

Dorothy 
Thompson

Jeremy 
Wilson

520,738

520,738

125

982,076

68,334

324,703 

360,839

153

900,530

–

60,280

24

410,104

Non-executive Directors

2,930

4,795

2,930

4,795

7,000

7,000

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

7,000,000

7,000,000

n/a

1,363,750

120,832

720

720

–

68,148

67,959

67,959

–

_

–

–

_

–

–

_

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

_

–

131,784

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

_

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

_

–

125,835

8,148

9,305

1,846,220

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

_

–

8,148

3,421

–

–

–

–

–

_

–

3,366

1,272,883

–

–

–

–

–

–

_

–

473,805

2,930

4,795

7,000

8,484,582

720

68,148

67,959

1.  Calculated using share price of 179.01p at year end. Under the Company’s shareholding guidelines, each Executive Director is required to build up 
their shareholdings in the Company’s shares to at least 300 per cent of their salary. Further details of the minimum shareholding requirement are 
set out in the Remuneration Policy Report.

2.  Holdings for Anne Drinkwater as at date of cessation as a non‑executive Director of the Company following the AGM on 25 April 2018.

3.  Holdings for Aidan Heavey as at date of cessation as Chairman of the Company following the conclusion of the Board meeting on 20 July 2018.

On 7 January 2019 Angus McCoss, Paul McDade and Les Wood were each awarded 452 SIP shares, all of which are restricted. 
Accounting for certain restricted SIP shares becoming unrestricted SIP shares in the period between 1 January 2019 and the 
date of this report, Angus McCoss holds 8,496 restricted SIP shares and 3,470 unrestricted SIP shares (total 11,966), Paul McDade 
holds 8,496 restricted SIP shares and 9,409 unrestricted SIP shares (total 17,905) and Les Wood holds 3,873 restricted SIP 
shares and 0 unrestricted SIP shares (total 3,873).

There have been no other changes in the interests of any Director between 1 January 2019 and the date of this report.

Approval
This report was approved by the Board of Directors on 12 February 2019 and signed on its behalf by:

Tutu Agyare
Chairman of the Remuneration Committee

www.tullowoil.com

101

GOVERNANCE 
OTHER STATUTORY INFORMATION

The Directors present their Annual Report and audited 
financial statements for the Group for the year ended 
31 December 2018.

Principal activities
Tullow is a leading independent oil and gas, exploration and 
production group, quoted on the London, Irish and Ghanaian 
stock exchanges. The Group has interests in over 87 exploration 
and production licences across 17 countries which are managed 
as three Business Delivery Teams: West Africa, East Africa 
and New Ventures.

Strategic Report 
The Group is required by section 414A of the Companies Act 
2006 to present a Strategic Report in the Annual Report. This 
can be found on pages 2 to 58. The Strategic Report contains 
an indication of the directors’ view on likely future developments 
in the business of the Group. In addition, following the introduction 
of the EU Non‑Financial Reporting Directive, the Strategic 
Report also provides direction on where information on the 
impact of activities on employees, social and environmental 
matters, human rights and anti‑corruption and anti‑bribery 
matters can be found within the Annual Report and financial 
statements, as well as a description of the Group’s policies 
and where these are located. The Corporate Governance 
Report on pages 60 to 106 is the corporate governance 
statement for the purposes of Disclosure Guidance and 
Transparency Rule 7.2.1. The Annual Report and Financial 
Statements use financial and non‑financial KPIs wherever 
possible and appropriate. 

Results and dividends
The profits on ordinary activities after taxation of the Group 
for the year ended 31 December 2018 was $85.4 million 
(2017: loss of $175.3 million). 

A final 2018 dividend of US4.8c/share ($67 million) payable 
in May 2019 has been recommended by the Board. 

Subsequent events
There has not been any event since 31 December 2018 that 
has resulted in a material impact on the year‑end results.

Share capital
As at 12 February 2019, the Company had an allotted and fully 
paid up share capital of 1,393,724,251 ordinary shares each 
with a nominal value of £0.10.

Substantial shareholdings 
As at 12 February 2019, the Company had been notified in 
accordance with the requirements of provision 5.1.2 of the 
Financial Conduct Authority’s Disclosure Guidance and 
Transparency Rules of the following significant holdings 
in the Company’s ordinary share capital:

Shareholder

% of issued 
capital (as 
at date of 
notification)

Number of 
shares

Standard Life Aberdeen plc

98,717,668

Prudential plc group of companies

72,886,807

RWC Asset Management LLP

71,022,015

Majedie Asset Management Limited

29,209,276

IFG International Trust Company Ltd1

38,960,366

7.09

5.23

5.09

3.20

5.98

1.  Based on notification received 14 November 2006. IFG is now known 

as First Names Trust Company.

Shareholders’ rights
The rights and obligations of shareholders are set out in the 
Company’s Articles of Association (which can be amended by 
special resolution). The rights and obligations attaching to the 
Company’s shares are as follows:

 ‑ dividend rights – holders of the Company’s shares may, by 
ordinary resolution, declare dividends but may not declare 
dividends in excess of the amount recommended by the 
Directors. The Directors may also pay interim dividends. 
No dividend may be paid other than out of profits available 
for distribution. Subject to shareholder approval, payment 
or satisfaction of a dividend may be made wholly or partly 
by distribution of specific assets;

 ‑ voting rights – voting at any general meeting may be conducted 
by a show of hands unless a poll is duly demanded. On a show 
of hands every shareholder who is present in person at a 
general meeting (and every proxy or corporate representative 
appointed by a shareholder and present at a general meeting) 
has one vote regardless of the number of shares held by 
the shareholder (or represented by the proxy or corporate 
representative). If a proxy has been appointed by more than 
one shareholder and has been instructed by one or more 
of those shareholders to vote ‘for’ the resolution and by one 
or more of those shareholders to vote ‘against’ a particular 
resolution, the proxy shall have one vote for and one vote 
against that resolution. On a poll, every shareholder who is 
present in person has one vote for every share held by that 
shareholder and a proxy has one vote for every share in respect 
of which he has been appointed as proxy (the deadline for 
exercising voting rights by proxy is set out in the form of 
proxy). On a poll, a corporate representative may exercise 
all the powers of the company that has authorised him.  

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Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

GOVERNANCE A poll may be demanded by any of the following: (a) the 
Chairman of the meeting; (b) at least five shareholders entitled 
to vote and present in person or by proxy or represented by 
a duly authorised corporate representative at the meeting; 
(c) any shareholder or shareholders present in person or 
by proxy or represented by a duly authorised corporate 
representative and holding shares or being a representative 
in respect of a holder of shares representing in the 
aggregate not less than one‑tenth of the total voting rights of 
all shareholders entitled to attend and vote at the meeting; 
or (d) any shareholder or shareholders present in person 
or by proxy or represented by a duly authorised corporate 
representative and holding shares or being a representative 
in respect of a holder of shares conferring a right to attend 
and vote at the meeting on which there have been paid up 
sums in the aggregate equal to not less than one‑tenth of 
the total sums paid up on all the shares conferring that right;

 ‑ return of capital – in the event of the liquidation of the 

Company, after payment of all liabilities and deductions 
taking priority, the balance of assets available for distribution 
will be distributed among the holders of ordinary shares 
according to the amounts paid up on the shares held by 
them. A liquidator may, with the authority of a special 
resolution, divide among the shareholders the whole or any 
part of the Company’s assets, or vest the Company’s assets 
in whole or in part in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit 
of shareholders, but no shareholder is compelled to accept 
any property in respect of which there is a liability;

 ‑ control rights under employee share schemes – the 

Company operates a number of employee share schemes. 
Under some of these arrangements, shares are held by 
trustees on behalf of employees. The employees are not 
entitled to exercise directly any voting or other control 
rights. The trustees will generally vote in accordance with 
employees’ instructions and abstain where no instructions 
are received. Unallocated shares are generally voted at the 
discretion of the trustees; and

 ‑ restrictions on holding securities – there are no restrictions 
under the Company’s Articles of Association or under UK 
law that either restrict the rights of UK resident shareholders 
to hold shares or limit the rights of non‑resident or foreign 
shareholders to hold or vote the Company’s ordinary shares.

There are no UK foreign exchange control restrictions on the 
payment of dividends to US persons on the Company’s 
ordinary shares.

Material agreements containing ‘change of control’ provisions
The following significant agreements will, in the event of a 
‘change of control’ of the Company, be affected as follows:

 ‑ to the extent that a ‘change of control’ occurs as a result of 
any person, or group of persons acting in concert (as defined 
in the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers), gaining control 
of the Company:

 ‑ under the $2.4 billion (or up to $2.9 billion in the event 
that the Company exercises its option to increase the 
commitments by up to an additional $500 million and 
the lenders provide such additional commitments) senior 
secured revolving credit facility agreement between, 
among others, the Company and certain subsidiaries of 
the Company, BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole Corporate 
and Investment Bank, Lloyds Bank plc, ING Bank N.V., 
DNB Bank ASA and The Standard Bank of South Africa 
Limited and the lenders specified therein: 

 ‑ the Company is obliged to notify the agent (who 

notifies the lenders) upon the occurrence of a change 
of control; and

 ‑ if any lender so requires, it may cancel its commitments 
immediately and demand repayment of all outstanding 
amounts owed by the Company and certain subsidiaries 
of the Company to it under the agreement and any 
connected finance document. So long as such lender 
states its requirement to be repaid within 20 business 
days of being notified by the agent (such period being 
the ‘notice period’), the repayment amount will become 
due and payable by no later than 10 business days after 
the end of such notice period and, in respect of each 
letter of credit issued under the agreement, full cash 
cover will be required by no later than 10 business days 
after the end of such notice period; 

 ‑ under the $63.6 million senior secured revolving credit 

facility agreement between, among others, the Company 
and certain subsidiaries of the Company and International 
Finance Corporation and the lenders specified therein: 

 ‑ the Company is obliged to notify the agent (who notifies 

the lenders) upon the occurrence of a change of 
control; and

 ‑ if any lender so requires, it may cancel its commitments 
immediately and demand repayment of all outstanding 
amounts owed by the Company and certain subsidiaries 
of the Company to it under the agreement and any 
connected finance document. So long as such lender 
states its requirement to be repaid within 20 business 
days of being notified by the agent (such period being 
the ‘notice period’), the repayment amount will become 
due and payable by no later than 10 business days after 
the end of such notice period;

www.tullowoil.com

103

GOVERNANCE 
OTHER STATUTORY INFORMATION CONTINUED

Material agreements containing  
‘change of control’ provisions continued
 ‑ to the extent that a ‘change of control’ occurs, in general 

terms, as a result of (i) a disposal of all or substantially all 
the properties or assets of the Company and all its restricted 
subsidiaries (other than through a merger or consolidation) 
in one or a series of related transactions; (ii) a plan being 
adopted relating to the liquidation or dissolution of the 
Company; or (iii) any person becomes the beneficial owner, 
directly or indirectly, of shares of the Company which grant 
that person more than 50 per cent of the voting rights of 
the Company:

 ‑ under an indenture relating to $650 million of 6.25 per cent 
Senior Notes due in 2022 between, among others, the 
Company, certain subsidiaries of the Company and 
Deutsche Trustee Company Limited as the Trustee, the 
Company must make an offer to noteholders to repurchase 
all the notes at 101 per cent of the aggregate principal 
amount of the notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest in 
the event that a change of control of the Company occurs. 
The repurchase offer must be made by the Company to 
all noteholders within 30 days following the change of 
control and the repurchase must take place no earlier 
than 10 days and no later than 60 days from the date 
the repurchase offer is made. Each noteholder may take 
up the offer in respect of all or part of its notes; and 
under an indenture relating to $800 million of 7 per cent 
Senior Notes due in 2025 between, among others, the 
Company, certain subsidiaries of the Company and 
Deutsche Trustee Company Limited as the Trustee, the 
Company must make an offer to noteholders to repurchase 
all the notes at 101 per cent of the aggregate principal 
amount of the notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest in 
the event that a change of control of the Company occurs. 
The repurchase offer must be made by the Company to 
all noteholders within 30 days following the change of 
control and the repurchase must take place no earlier 
than 10 days and no later than 60 days from the date 
the repurchase offer is made. Each noteholder may take 
up the offer in respect of all or part of its notes; 

 ‑ to the extent that a ‘change of control’ occurs, in general terms, 
as a result of: (i) any person or persons, acting together, 
acquiring or becoming entitled to more than 50 per cent of 
the voting rights of the Company; or (ii) an offer being made 
to all of the Company’s shareholders to acquire all or a 
majority of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company 
(or such offeror proposing a scheme of arrangement with 
regard to such acquisition, and thereby becoming entitled 
to exercise more than 50 per cent of the voting rights of 
the Company):

 ‑ under a trust deed constituting $300 million of 6.625 per cent 
guaranteed convertible bonds due in 2021 (‘the Convertible 
Bonds’) between, among others, the Company, certain 

subsidiaries of the Company and Deutsche Trustee 
Company Limited as the Trustee, the bondholders shall 
have the right to require the Company to: (i) convert, in 
accordance with a formula specified in the trust deed, the 
Convertible Bonds into preference shares in the Company, 
which in turn will be exchanged by the Company for 
ordinary shares; or (ii) redeem the Convertible Bonds at 
their principal amount, together with accrued and unpaid 
interest at the date of the change of control event. The 
Company is required to give the Trustee notice of the 
occurrence of an event constituting a change of control 
within five calendar days of the occurrence of such event, 
and the bondholders shall thereafter have 60 calendar days 
in which to exercise the election referred to above. If the 
bondholders elect to redeem the Convertible Bonds, the 
Company is required to make payment of this amount 
14 business days after receiving notification of such election. 

Directors
The biographical details of the Directors of the Company at 
the date of this report are given on pages 60 and 61. 

Details of Directors’ service agreements and letters of 
appointment can be found on pages 90 and 91. Details of the 
Directors’ interests in the ordinary shares of the Company 
and in the Group’s long‑term incentive and other share option 
schemes are set out on pages 96 to 101 in the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report.

Directors’ indemnities and insurance cover 
As at the date of this report, indemnities are in force under 
which the Company has agreed to indemnify the Directors, to 
the extent permitted by the Companies Act 2006, against 
claims from third parties in respect of certain liabilities 
arising out of, or in connection with, the execution of their 
powers, duties and responsibilities as Directors of the 
Company or any of its subsidiaries. The Directors are also 
indemnified against the cost of defending a criminal prosecution 
or a claim by the Company, its subsidiaries or a regulator 
provided that where the defence is unsuccessful the Director 
must repay those defence costs. The Company also maintains 
directors’ and officers’ liability insurance cover, the level of which 
is reviewed annually.

Conflicts of interest
A Director has a duty to avoid a situation in which he or she has, 
or can have, a direct or indirect interest that conflicts, or possibly 
may conflict, with the interests of the Group. The Board requires 
Directors to declare all appointments and other situations 
that could result in a possible conflict of interest and has 
adopted appropriate procedures to manage and, if appropriate, 
approve any such conflicts. The Board is satisfied that there is 
no compromise to the independence of those Directors who 
have appointments on the boards of, or relationships with, 
companies outside the Group.

104

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

GOVERNANCEPowers of Directors
The general powers of the Directors are set out in Article 104 
of the Articles of Association of the Company. It provides that 
the business of the Company shall be managed by the Board 
which may exercise all the powers of the Company whether 
relating to the management of the business of the Company 
or not. This power is subject to any limitations imposed on the 
Company by applicable legislation. It is also limited by the 
provisions of the Articles of Association of the Company and 
any directions given by special resolution of the shareholders 
of the Company which are applicable on the date that any 
power is exercised.

Please note the following specific provisions relevant to the 
exercise of power by the Directors:

 ‑ Pre‑emptive rights and new issues of shares – the holders 

of ordinary shares have no pre‑emptive rights under the 
Articles of Association of the Company. However, the ability 
of the Directors to cause the Company to issue shares, 
securities convertible into shares or rights to shares, 
otherwise than pursuant to an employee share scheme, 
is restricted under the Companies Act 2006 which provides 
that the directors of a company are, with certain exceptions, 
unable to allot any equity securities without express 
authorisation, which may be contained in a company’s 
articles of association or given by its shareholders in 
general meeting, but which in either event cannot last for 
more than five years. Under the Companies Act 2006, the 
Company may also not allot shares for cash (otherwise than 
pursuant to an employee share scheme) without first making 
an offer on a pre‑emptive basis to existing shareholders, 
unless this requirement is waived by a special resolution 
of the shareholders. 

 ‑ Repurchase of shares – subject to authorisation by 

shareholder resolution, the Company may purchase its 
own shares in accordance with the Companies Act 2006. 
Any shares that have been bought back may be held as 
treasury shares or must be cancelled immediately upon 
completion of the purchase. The Company received authority 
at the last Annual General Meeting to purchase up to a 
maximum of 138,913,807 ordinary shares. The authority 
lasts until the earlier of the conclusion of the Annual 
General Meeting of the Company in 2019 or 30 June 2018.

 ‑ Borrowing powers – the net external borrowings of the 

Group outstanding at any time shall not exceed an amount 
equal to four times the aggregate of the Group’s adjusted 
capital and reserves calculated in the manner prescribed 
in Article 105 of the Company’s Articles of Association, 
unless sanctioned by an ordinary resolution of the 
Company’s shareholders.

Appointment and replacement of Directors
The Company shall appoint (disregarding Alternate Directors) no 
fewer than two and no more than 15 Directors. The appointment 
and replacement of Directors may be made as follows:

 ‑ the shareholders may by ordinary resolution elect any 

person who is willing to act to be a Director;

 ‑ the Board may elect any person who is willing to act to be 
a Director. Any Director so appointed shall hold office only 
until the next Annual General Meeting and shall then be 
eligible for election;

 ‑ each Director is required in terms of the Articles of 

Association to retire from office at the third Annual General 
Meeting after the Annual General Meeting at which he or 
she was last elected or re‑elected, although he or she may 
be re‑elected by ordinary resolution if eligible and willing. 
However, to comply with the principles of best corporate 
governance, the Board intends that each Director will 
submit him or herself for re‑election on an annual basis;

 ‑ the Company may by special resolution remove any Director 
before the expiration of his or her period of office or may, by 
ordinary resolution, remove a Director where special notice 
has been given and the necessary statutory procedures are 
complied with; and

 ‑ there are a number of other grounds on which a Director’s 
office may cease, namely voluntary resignation, where all 
the other Directors (being at least three in number) request 
his or her resignation, where he or she suffers physical or 
mental incapacity, where he or she is absent from meetings 
of the Board without permission of the Board for six consecutive 
months, becomes bankrupt or compounds with his or her 
creditors or where he or she is prohibited by law from being 
a Director.

Encouraging diversity in our workforce
Tullow is committed to eliminating discrimination and 
encouraging diversity amongst its workforce. Decisions 
related to recruitment selection, development or promotion 
are based upon merit and ability to adequately meet the 
requirements of the job, and are not influenced by factors 
such as gender, marital status, race, ethnic origin, colour, 
nationality, religion, sexual orientation, age or disability.

We want our workforce to be truly representative of all sections 
of society and for all our employees to feel respected and able 
to reach their potential. Our commitment to these aims and 
detailed approach are set out in Tullow’s Code of Ethical Conduct 
and Equal Opportunities Policy. 

We aim to provide an optimal working environment to suit the 
needs of all employees, including those of employees with 
disabilities. For employees who become disabled during their 
time with the Group, Tullow will provide support to help them 
remain safely in continuous employment.

www.tullowoil.com

105

GOVERNANCEOTHER STATUTORY INFORMATION CONTINUED

Employee involvement and engagement
We use a range of methods to inform and consult with employees 
about significant business issues and our performance. These 
include webcasts, the Group’s intranet and town hall meetings. 
In 2019, we are implementing workforce advisory panels in 
conjunction with existing means to continue engaging with 
our workforce.

We have an employee share plan for all permanent employees, 
which gives employees a direct interest in the business’ success.

Political donations
In line with Group policy, no donations were made for 
political purposes.

Corporate responsibility
The Group works to achieve high standards of environmental, 
health and safety management. Our performance in these areas 
can be found on pages 42 and 43 of this report. Further information 
is available on the Group website: www.tullowoil.com, including 
archived copies of separate Corporate Responsibility Reports 
which were published in previous years.

Auditor and disclosure of relevant audit information
Having made the requisite enquiries, so far as the Directors 
are aware, there is no relevant audit information (as defined 
by section 418(3) of the Companies Act 2006) of which the 
Company’s auditor is unaware and each Director has taken 
all steps that ought to have been taken to make him or herself 
aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that 
the Company’s auditor is aware of that information.

A resolution to re‑appoint Deloitte LLP as the Company’s 
auditor will be proposed at the AGM. More information can 
be found in the Audit Committee Report on pages 70 to 76.

Annual General Meeting
The Notice of Annual General Meeting will set out the 
resolutions to be proposed at the forthcoming AGM. 
The meeting will be held on 25 April 2019 at Tullow Oil plc’s 
Head Office, 9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London W4 5XT, from 12 noon.

This Corporate Governance Report (which includes the 
Directors’ Remuneration Report) and the information referred 
to herein have been approved by the Board and signed on its 
behalf by:

Adam Holland 
Company Secretary
12 February 2019

Registered office: 
9 Chiswick Park 
566 Chiswick High Road 
London W4 5XT

Company registered in England and Wales No. 3919249

106

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

GOVERNANCERichard Mends is a Certified Equipment 
Operator working with Consolidated 
Shipping Agencies Ltd (Conship) in 
Takoradi, Ghana. Conship is a Ghanaian 
company in the logistics and freight 
forwarding business. Tullow is committed 
to supporting local businesses as part  
of our shared prosperity agenda.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Statement of Directors’
responsibilities 

Independent auditor’s report 
for the Group and Company 
Financial Statements 

Group Financial Statements 

108

109

117

Company Financial Statements 

156

Supplementary information

Five-year financial summary 

Shareholder information 

Licence interests 

Commercial reserves 

and resources 

Transparency disclosure 

Sustainability data 

Tullow Oil plc subsidiaries 

Glossary 

164

165

166

170

171

178

181

184

 
STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS’ RESPONSIBILITIES

The Directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report 
and the Financial Statements in accordance with applicable 
law and regulations.

Company law requires the Directors to prepare the Group 
Financial Statements for each financial year. Under that law 
the Directors are required to prepare the Group Financial 
Statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting 
Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the European Union and 
Article 4 of the IAS Regulation and have elected to prepare 
the Parent Company Financial Statements in accordance 
with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice 
(United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law), 
including FRS 101 Reduced Disclosure Framework. Under 
company law the Directors must not approve the accounts 
unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view 
of the state of affairs of the Company and of the profit or 
loss of the Company for that period. 

In preparing the Parent Company Financial Statements, 
the Directors are required to:

 - select suitable accounting policies and then apply 

them consistently;

 - make judgements and accounting estimates that are 

reasonable and prudent;

 - state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have 

been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed 
and explained in the Financial Statements; and

 - prepare the Financial Statements on the going concern 
basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the 
Company will continue in business.

In preparing the Group Financial Statements, International 
Accounting Standard 1 requires that Directors:

 - properly select and apply accounting policies;

 - present information, including accounting policies, in a 

manner that provides relevant, reliable, comparable and 
understandable information; 

 - provide additional disclosures when compliance with the 
specific requirements in IFRSs are insufficient to enable 
users to understand the impact of particular transactions, 
other events and conditions on the entity’s financial position 
and financial performance; and

 - make an assessment of the Group’s ability to continue as a 

going concern.

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting 
records that are sufficient to show and explain the Company’s 
transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time 
the financial position of the Company and enable them to ensure 
that the Financial Statements comply with the Companies Act 
2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of 
the Company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the 
prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and 
integrity of the corporate and financial information included 
on the Company’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom 
governing the preparation and dissemination of Financial 
Statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Responsibility statement 
We confirm that to the best of our knowledge:

 - the Financial Statements, prepared in accordance with the 
relevant financial reporting framework, give a true and fair 
view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or 
loss of the Company and the undertakings included in the 
consolidation taken as a whole;

 - the Strategic Report includes a fair review of the development 
and performance of the business and the position of the 
Company and the undertakings included in the consolidation 
taken as a whole, together with a description of the 
principal risks and uncertainties that they face; and

 - the Annual Report and Financial Statements, taken as a 

whole, are fair, balanced and understandable and provide 
the information necessary for shareholders to assess the 
Company’s position and performance, business model 
and strategy.

By order of the Board

Paul McDade 
Chief Executive Officer 

Les Wood
Chief Financial Officer

12 February 2019 

12 February 2019

108

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSINDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT  
FOR THE GROUP AND COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Opinion
In our opinion:

 - the Financial Statements of Tullow Oil plc (‘the Parent Company’) and its subsidiaries (‘the Group’) give a true and fair view 

of the state of the Group’s and of the Parent Company’s affairs as at 31 December 2018 and of the Group’s profit for the year 
then ended;

 - the Group Financial Statements have been properly prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards 

(IFRSs) as adopted by the European Union;

 - the Parent Company Financial Statements have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally 

Accepted Accounting Practice, including Financial Reporting Standard 101 Reduced Disclosure Framework; and

 - the Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and, as regards 

the Group Financial Statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation.

We have audited the Financial Statements which comprise:

 - the Group income statement;

 - the Group statement of comprehensive income and expense;

 - the Group and Parent Company balance sheets;

 - the Group and Parent Company statements of changes in equity;

 - the Group cash flow statement;

 - the Group and Parent Company statements of accounting policies; 

 - the related notes 1 to 32 to the Group Financial Statements; and

 - the related notes 1 to 8 to the Parent Company Financial Statements.

The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the preparation of the Group Financial Statements is applicable law 
and IFRSs as adopted by the European Union. 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 auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the Financial 
Statements section of our report. 

We are independent of the Group and the Parent Company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit 
of the Financial Statements in the UK, including the Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC’s) Ethical Standard as applied to listed 
public interest entities, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We confirm 
that the non-audit services prohibited by the FRC’s Ethical Standard were not provided to the Group or the Parent Company.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

www.tullowoil.com

109

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSINDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT  
FOR THE GROUP AND COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED

Summary of our audit approach

Key audit matters

The key audit matters that we identified in the current year were:

 - the carrying value of exploration and evaluation (E&E) assets; and

 - the carrying value of property, plant and equipment (PP&E). 

 - Within this report, any new key audit matters are identified with  >

>  and any key audit matters 

which are the same as the prior year identified with  >> .

Materiality

Scoping

The materiality that we used for the Group Financial Statements was $50 million which represents 
approximately 2 per cent of net assets and approximately 3 per cent of Adjusted EBITDAX.

The Group comprises three reporting units and the corporate business unit, all of which were included 
in our assessment of the risks of material misstatement. Full scope audits were performed on those 
operations audited by the Group team and by the component teams in Ghana and Gabon. Specified 
audit procedures were performed in all of the Group’s other locations. 

Significant changes 
in our approach

There have been no significant changes to our approach to the audit, aside from our conclusion 
that the provision for onerous service contracts was not a key audit matter for this year’s audit. 
Following the settlement of the Seadrill case in the current year and following reduced levels 
of uncertainty with regards to the onerous service contracts during 2018 we concluded that the 
provision for onerous contracts was not a key audit matter for the year ended 31 December 2018.

Conclusions relating to going concern, principal risks and viability statement

Going concern
We have reviewed the Directors’ statement on page 37 about whether they considered it appropriate 
to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing them and their identification of any 
material uncertainties to the Group’s and Company’s ability to continue to do so over a period of at 
least 12 months from the date of approval of the Financial Statements.

We confirm that we have 
nothing material to report, 
add or draw attention to in 
respect of these matters. 

We considered as part of our risk assessment the nature of the Group, its business model and 
related risks including where relevant the impact of Brexit, the requirements of the applicable 
financial reporting framework and the system of internal control. We evaluated the Directors’ 
assessment of the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern, including challenging the 
underlying data and key assumptions used to make the assessment, and evaluated the Directors’ 
plans for future actions in relation to their going concern assessment.

We are required to state whether we have anything material to add or draw attention to in relation 
to that statement required by Listing Rule 9.8.6R(3) and report if the statement is materially 
inconsistent with our knowledge obtained in the audit.

Principal risks and viability statement
Based solely on reading the Directors’ statements and considering whether they were consistent 
with the knowledge we obtained in the course of the audit, including the knowledge obtained in the 
evaluation of the Directors’ assessment of the Group’s and the Company’s ability to continue as a 
going concern, we are required to state whether we have anything material to add or draw attention 
to in relation to:

We confirm that we have 
nothing material to report, 
add or draw attention to in 
respect of these matters.

 - the disclosures on pages 54 to 57 that describe the principal risks and explain how they are being 

managed or mitigated;

 - the Directors’ confirmation on page 75 that they have carried out a robust assessment of the 

principal risks facing the Group, including those that would threaten its business model, future 
performance, solvency or liquidity; or

 - the Directors’ explanation on page 58 as to how they have assessed the prospects of the Group, 

over what period they have done so and why they consider that period to be appropriate, and their 
statement as to whether they have a reasonable expectation that the Group will be able to 
continue in operation and meet its liabilities as they fall due over the period of their assessment, 
including any related disclosures drawing attention to any necessary qualifications or assumptions.

We are also required to report whether the Directors’ statement relating to the prospects of the Group 
required by Listing Rule 9.8.6R(3) is materially inconsistent with our knowledge obtained in the audit.

110

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSKey audit matters
Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgement, were of most significance in our audit of the Financial 
Statements of the current period and include the most significant assessed risks of material misstatement (whether or not due 
to fraud) that we identified. These matters included those which had the greatest effect on: the overall audit strategy; the 
allocation of resources in the audit; and directing the efforts of the engagement team.

These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the Financial Statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion 
thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters.

Carrying value of exploration and evaluation (E&E) assets  >>

Key audit matter  
description

The carrying value of E&E assets as at 31 December 2018 is $1,898.6 million (2017: $1,933.4 million) 
and the Group has written off E&E expenditure totalling $295.2 million (2017: $143.4 million) in the 
year then ended. 

The assessment of the carrying value of E&E assets requires management to exercise judgement 
as described in the ‘critical accounting judgements’ section of the Annual Report and Accounts on 
page 126. Management’s assessment requires consideration of a number of factors, including, 
but not limited to, the Group’s intention to proceed with a future work programme for a prospect or 
licence, the likelihood of licence renewal and the success of drilling and geological analysis to date.

We have pinpointed the key audit matter in this area to those E&E assets in the Group’s portfolio 
which are at higher risk of impairment, specifically those in Kenya. Following $140 million of 
exploration write off in respect of Wawa and Akasa in Ghana in 2018, we no longer considered the 
Ghana E&E assets to be at higher risk of future impairment. 

The costs capitalised in respect of Kenya constitute $1,098 million of the Group’s E&E assets. 
Please refer to note 10 on pages 134 and 135 of the Annual Report and Accounts and the 
Audit Committee Report on pages 70 to 76 for further information.

How the scope of our 
audit responded to the 
key audit matter

We evaluated management’s assessment of E&E assets held on the balance sheet at 31 December 
2018 with reference to the criteria of IFRS 6 Exploration for and Evaluation of Mineral Resources 
and the Group’s accounting policy (see page 123).

Our work to assess the assets at higher risk of impairment included, but was not limited to, the 
following audit procedures:

 - participating in meetings with operational and finance staff in Kenya and London to discuss 

Exploration and Appraisal activities;

 - obtaining confirmations of budget allocations, confirmations of the licence phase and ongoing 

appraisal activity; and

 - obtaining evidence in respect of the continuance or otherwise of appraisal activity, licence 

validity, the status of applications for licence extensions and management’s expectations of 
approval, its consideration of the likelihood of recovery of the balance sheet value and its 
conclusion on commerciality where relevant.

Key observations

We are satisfied that the assets have been treated in accordance with the criteria of IFRS 6 and 
Tullow’s E&E accounting policy.

In some circumstances the costs of wells from exploration continue to be held on the balance 
sheet for a significant period of time while development plans are finalised and government 
consent is obtained, for example in Kenya.

Based on the audit evidence gathered, we are satisfied that the judgements made by management 
are reasonable.

www.tullowoil.com

111

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSINDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT  
FOR THE GROUP AND COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED

Carrying value of Property, Plant and Equipment (PP&E)  >>

Key audit matter 
description

In 2018 Tullow recognised a net impairment charge of $18.2 million (2017: $539.1 million 
impairment) against the value of its PP&E assets, of which $13.3 million (2017: $535.5 million 
impairment) relates to the impairment reversal in the TEN asset. Please refer to note 11 and the 
Audit Committee Report on pages 70 to 76 for further details.

As described in the ‘key sources of estimation uncertainty’ section of the Annual Report and Accounts 
on page 127, the assessment of the carrying value of PP&E assets requires management to 
compare it against the recoverable amount of the asset. The calculation of the recoverable amount 
requires judgement in estimating future oil and gas prices, the applicable asset discount rate and 
the cost and production profiles of reserves estimates.

We have identified the TEN asset in Ghana as the Group’s only field whose impairment assessment 
represents a key audit matter as a result of its material size and sensitivity to changes in 
underlying assumptions. Given the asset’s importance to the Group in terms of future production 
and the estimation uncertainty in the determination of its recoverable amount, we also considered 
there to be a fraud risk that the assumptions applied to the valuation are inappropriate.

Management has disclosed the impact of sensitivities of both the discount rate and commodity 
prices in the PP&E note on pages 135 and 136.

How the scope of our 
audit responded to the 
key audit matter

We examined management’s assessment of impairment and impairment reversal indicators, 
which concluded that an increase in the forecast oil price assumption and the positive revisions 
to the production profiles during the year represented an indicator of impairment reversals for 
the Group’s oil and gas assets.

The assumptions that underpin management’s calculation of the recoverable amounts of the 
TEN asset are inherently judgemental. Our audit work therefore assessed the reasonableness 
of management’s key assumptions when calculating its recoverable amount.

Specifically our work included, but was not limited to, the following procedures:

 - benchmarking and analysis of oil price assumptions against forward curves and other 

market data;

 - agreement of hydrocarbon production profiles and proven and probable reserves to third-party 
reserve reports and evaluated the competence, capabilities and objectivity of the third-party 
reserve auditors;

 - verification of estimated future costs by agreement to approved budgets and assessment of their 

appropriateness with reference to field production profiles, with involvement from Deloitte 
petroleum engineering experts; 

 - recalculation and benchmarking of discount rates applied, with involvement from Deloitte 

industry valuation specialists; and

 - consideration of evidence of management bias in the assumptions selected and the application 

of professional scepticism to address the risk of fraud.

Key observations

The assumptions made by management when determining the TEN asset’s recoverable amount 
fall within a reasonable range.

Overall, we are satisfied that the recoverable amount of the assets have been determined and 
impairment charges and reversals have been recognised in accordance with the requirements 
of IAS 36 Impairment of Assets.

112

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSOur application of materiality
We define materiality as the magnitude of misstatement in the Financial Statements that makes it probable that the economic 
decisions of a reasonably knowledgeable person would be changed or influenced. We use materiality both in planning the scope 
of our audit work and in evaluating the results of our work.

Based on our professional judgement, we determined materiality for the Financial Statements as a whole as follows:

Group Financial Statements

Materiality

Group: $50 million (2017: $50 million).

Parent Company: $40 million (2017: $40 million).

Basis for determining 
materiality

Group: Approximately 2 per cent of Group net assets, consistent with the prior year approach 
(2017: approximately 2 per cent of Group net assets, consistent with the prior year approach).

Rationale for the 
benchmark applied

Parent Company: Approximately 1 per cent of the Parent Company’s net assets 
(2017: approximately 1 per cent of the Parent Company’s net assets).

Group: We have determined materiality based on the net asset position of the Group, reflecting the 
long-term value of the Group in its portfolio of exploration and development assets and their 
associated reserves and resources. We have determined that using a balance sheet metric, rather 
than profit-based metric, will provide a more stable base for materiality. However, for reference we 
note that materiality equates to approximately 3 per cent of the alternative performance measure 
Adjusted EBITDAX. Management has presented a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDAX to profit from 
continuing activities on page 39 of the Annual Report and Accounts.

Parent Company: We have determined materiality based on the net asset position of the Company 
as its principal activity is to hold investments in subsidiaries and external debt.

Net assets 
$2,893m

  Net assets

  Group materiality

threshold $2.5m97+3

Group materiality $50m

Component materiality range 
$40m to $25m

Audit Committee reporting 

We agreed with the Audit Committee that we would report to the Committee all audit differences in excess of $2.5 million 
(2017: $2.5 million), as well as differences below that threshold that, in our view, warranted reporting on qualitative grounds. 
We also report to the Audit Committee on disclosure matters that we identified when assessing the overall presentation of the 
Financial Statements.

An overview of the scope of our audit
The Group comprises three reporting units and the corporate business unit, all of which were included in our assessment of the 
risks of material misstatement. Full scope audits were performed on those operations audited by the Group team and by the 
component teams in Ghana and Gabon. Specified audit procedures were performed at the Group’s other locations. The 
materialities applied to components ranged from $25 million to $40 million (2017: $25 million to $40 million).

The Group team took direct responsibility for the audit work in certain locations including the UK, Kenya and Uganda as well as 
the consolidation process. The Group team planned and oversaw the work performed by component auditors; the level of direct 
involvement varied by location and included, at a minimum, a review of the reports provided on the results of the work 
undertaken by the component audit teams.

In addition, the senior statutory auditor and senior members of his Group audit team visited Ghana and Kenya to direct and 
review the audit work performed by the component auditors.

www.tullowoil.com

113

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSINDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT  
FOR THE GROUP AND COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED

Other information

The Directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information 
included in the Annual Report, other than the Financial Statements and our Auditor’s Report thereon.

Our opinion on the Financial Statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent 
otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

We have nothing to 
report in respect 
of these matters.

In connection with our audit of the Financial Statements, 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 audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated.

If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required 
to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the Financial Statements or a material 
misstatement of the other information. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there 
is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

In this context, matters that we are specifically required to report to you as uncorrected material 
misstatements of the other information include where we conclude that:

 - Fair, balanced and understandable – the statement given by the Directors that they consider 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, is materially inconsistent with our knowledge obtained in the audit; or

 - Audit Committee reporting – the section describing the work of the Audit Committee does not 

appropriately address matters communicated by us to the Audit Committee; or

 -  Directors’ statement of compliance with the UK Corporate Governance Code – the parts of the Directors’ 
statement required under the Listing Rules relating to the Company’s compliance with the UK Corporate 
Governance Code containing provisions specified for review by the auditor in accordance with Listing 
Rule 9.8.10R(2) do not properly disclose a departure from a relevant provision of the UK Corporate 
Governance Code.

Responsibilities of Directors
As explained more fully in the Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities, the Directors are responsible for the preparation of the 
Financial Statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the Directors 
determine is necessary to enable the preparation of Financial Statements that are free from material misstatement, whether 
due to fraud or error.

In preparing the Financial Statements, the Directors are responsible for assessing the Group’s and the 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.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the Financial Statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the Financial Statements as a whole are free from material 
misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance 
is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a 
material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or 
in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these 
Financial Statements.

Details of the extent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud are set out below.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the Financial Statements is located on the FRC’s website at:  
www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

114

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSExtent to which the audit was considered capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud
We identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the Financial Statements, whether due to fraud or error, and then 
design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, including obtaining audit evidence that is sufficient and 
appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Identifying and assessing potential risks related to irregularities
In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities, including fraud and non-compliance with 
laws and regulations, our procedures included the following:

 - enquiring of management, internal audit, the Group Ethics and Compliance Manager and the Audit Committee, including 

obtaining and reviewing supporting documentation, concerning the Group’s policies and procedures relating to:

 - identifying, evaluating and complying with laws and regulations and whether they were aware of any instances of non-compliance;

 - detecting and responding to the risks of fraud and whether they have knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud;

 - the internal controls established to mitigate risks related to fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations;

 - discussing among the engagement team including significant component audit teams and involving relevant internal specialists, 

including tax, valuations, IT and industry specialists regarding how and where fraud might occur in the Financial Statements 
and any potential indicators of fraud. As part of this discussion, we identified potential for fraud in the following areas: Carrying 
value of exploration and evaluation (E&E) assets and Carrying value of Property, Plant and Equipment (‘PP&E’); and

 - obtaining an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework that the Group operates in, focusing on those laws and 
regulations that had a direct effect on the Financial Statements or that had a fundamental effect on the operations of the 
Group. The key laws and regulations we considered in this context included the UK Companies Act 2006, the UK Corporate 
Governance Code, the Listing Rules of the UK Listing Authority and the relevant tax compliance regulations in the jurisdictions 
in which Tullow operates.

Audit response to risks identified
As a result of performing the above, we identified carrying value of exploration and evaluation assets and carrying value of 
property, plant and equipment as key audit matters. The key audit matters section of our report explains the matters in more 
detail and also describes the specific procedures we performed in response to those key audit matters. 

In addition to the above, our procedures to respond to risks identified included the following:

 - reviewing the Financial Statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with relevant 

laws and regulations discussed above;

 - enquiring of management, the Audit Committee and in-house legal counsel concerning actual and potential litigation 

and claims;

 - performing analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships that may indicate risks of material 

misstatement due to fraud;

 - reading minutes of meetings of those charged with governance, reviewing internal audit reports and reviewing 

correspondence with HMRC and local tax and regulatory authorities in the countries in which Tullow operates; and

 - in addressing the risk of fraud through management override of controls, testing the appropriateness of journal entries and 
other adjustments; assessing whether the judgements made in making accounting estimates are indicative of a potential 
bias; and evaluating the business rationale of any significant transactions that are unusual or outside the normal course of 
business.

We also communicated relevant identified laws and regulations and potential fraud risks to all engagement team members 
including internal specialists and significant component audit teams, and remained alert to any indications of fraud or 
non-compliance with laws and regulations throughout the audit.

www.tullowoil.com

115

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSINDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT  
FOR THE GROUP AND COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED

Report on other legal and regulatory requirements
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:

 - 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

 - the strategic report and the directors’ report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

In light of the knowledge and understanding of the Group and of the Parent Company and their environment obtained in the 
course of the audit, we have not identified any material misstatements in the Strategic Report or the Directors’ Report.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

Adequacy of explanations received and accounting records
Under the Companies Act 2006 we are required to report to you if, in our opinion:

We have nothing to report in respect 
of these matters.

 - we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our 

audit; or

 - 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; or

 - the Parent Company Financial Statements are not in agreement with the 

accounting records and returns.

Directors’ remuneration
Under the Companies Act 2006 we are also required to report if in our opinion 
certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration have not been made or the  
part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited is not in agreement 
with the accounting records and returns.

We have nothing to report in respect  
of these matters.

Other matters
Auditor tenure
Following the recommendation of the Audit Committee, we were appointed by the Directors on 1 August 2002 to audit the 
Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2002 and subsequent financial periods. The period of total uninterrupted 
engagement including previous renewals and re-appointments of the firm is 16 years, covering the years ended 31 December 2002 
to 31 December 2018.

Consistency of the audit report with the additional report to the audit committee
Our audit opinion is consistent with the additional report to the audit committee we are required to provide in accordance with 
ISAs (UK).

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 auditor’s 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.

Dean Cook MA FCA (Senior Statutory Auditor) 
For and on behalf of Deloitte LLP 
Statutory Auditor 
London, United Kingdom

12 February 2019

116

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSGROUP INCOME STATEMENT
YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018

Continuing activities
Sales revenue 
Other operating income – lost production insurance proceeds
Cost of sales 

Gross profit 
Administrative expenses 
Restructuring costs
Gain/(loss) on disposal
Exploration costs written off
Impairment of property, plant and equipment, net
Provision for onerous service contracts, net

Operating profit
Gain on hedging instruments
Finance revenue
Finance costs 

Profit/(loss) from continuing activities before tax 
Income tax (expense)/credit 

Profit/(loss) for the year from continuing activities 

Attributable to:
Owners of the Company
Non-controlling interest

Profit/(loss) per ordinary share from continuing activities

Basic
Diluted 

GROUP STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME AND EXPENSE
YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018

Profit/(loss) for the year
Items that may be reclassified to the income statement in subsequent periods
Cash flow hedges
  Gain arising in the year
  Gain/(loss) arising in the year – time value
  Reclassification adjustments for items included in loss on realisation
  Reclassification adjustments for items included in loss on realisation – time value
Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations

Other comprehensive profit/(loss)
Tax relating to components of other comprehensive loss

Net other comprehensive profit/(loss) for the year

Total comprehensive income/(expense) for the year

Attributable to:
Owners of the Company
Non-controlling interest

1.   2017 figures restated in relation to the implementation of IFRS 9 Financial Instruments. Refer to the accounting policies section.

Notes

2018
$m

2017

Restated 1 

$m

2
6
4

4
4
9
10
11
22

5
5

7

25

8

Notes

20
20
20
20

20

 1,859.2 
 188.4 
(966.0)

 1,081.6
(90.3)
(3.4)
 21.3 
(295.2)
(18.2)
(167.4)

 528.4 
 2.4 
 58.4 
(328.7)

 260.5 
(175.1)

1,722.5
162.1
(1,069.3)

815.3
(95.3)
(14.5)
(1.6)
(143.4)
(539.1)
1.0

22.4
1.4
42.0
(351.7)

(285.9)
110.6

 85.4 

(175.3)

 84.8 
 0.6 

(176.3)
1.0

 85.4 

(175.3)

¢

6.1
5.9

¢

(13.7)
(13.7)

2018
$m

85.4

100.7
16.2
32.7
52.7
(15.4)

186.9
– 

186.9

2017

Restated 1 

$m

(175.3)

6.7
(64.7)
(137.5)
51.5
9.0

(135.0)
24.3

(110.7)

272.3

(286.0)

271.7
0.6

272.3

(287.0)
1.0

(286.0)

www.tullowoil.com

117

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 
GROUP BALANCE SHEET
AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2018

ASSETS 
Non-current assets 
Intangible exploration and evaluation assets
Property, plant and equipment 
Investments 
Other non-current assets
Derivative financial instruments
Deferred tax assets

Current assets 
Inventories 
Trade receivables 
Other current assets
Current tax assets
Derivative financial instruments
Cash and cash equivalents 
Assets classified as held for sale

Total assets 

LIABILITIES 
Current liabilities 
Trade and other payables 
Provisions
Current tax liabilities 
Derivative financial instruments

Non-current liabilities 
Trade and other payables
Borrowings 
Provisions 
Deferred tax liabilities
Derivative financial instruments

Total liabilities 

Net assets

EQUITY
Called-up share capital 
Share premium
Equity component of convertible bonds
Foreign currency translation reserve
Hedge reserve
Hedge reserve – time value
Other reserves 
Retained earnings 

Equity attributable to equity holders of the Company
Non-controlling interest

Total equity

Notes

2018
$m

2017

Restated 1 

$m

10
11
12
13
20
23

14
15
13
7
20
16
17

18
22

20

18
19
22
23
20

24
24

20

25

 1,898.6 
 4,916.4 
 – 
 696.4 
 51.2 
 649.4 

1,933.4
5,254.7
1.0
789.8
0.8
724.5

 8,212.0 

8,704.2

 134.8 
 159.4 
 969.0 
 60.5 
 79.7 
 179.8 
 840.2 

168.0
171.4
768.3
57.7
1.8
284.0
873.1

 2,423.4 

2,324.3

 10,635.4 

11,028.5

(1,204.3)
(198.5)
(83.0)
(2.7)

(1,025.6)
(230.8)
(45.0)
(53.1)

(1,488.5)

(1,354.5)

(1,282.3)
(3,219.1)
(677.0)
(1,075.3)
 – 

(1,422.6)
(3,606.4)
(801.6)
(1,101.2)
(25.8)

(6,253.7)

(6,957.6)

(7,742.2)

(8,312.1)

 2,893.2 

2,716.4

 209.1 
 1,344.2 
 48.4 
(238.6)
 130.8 
(4.9)
 755.2 
 649.0 

 2,893.2 
 – 

208.2
1,326.8
48.4
(223.2)
(2.6)
(73.8)
740.9
681.3

2,706.0
10.4

 2,893.2 

2,716.4

1.   2017 figures restated in relation to the implementation of IFRS 9 Financial Instruments. Refer to the accounting policies section.

Approved by the Board and authorised for issue on 12 February 2019.

Paul McDade 
Chief Executive Officer 

Les Wood
Chief Financial Officer

118

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSGROUP STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018

Share
capital
$m

Share
premium
$m

Notes

Equity 
component
of convertible 
bonds
$m

Foreign
 currency 
translation
reserve 1
$m

Hedge
 reserve 
– time 
value 4
$m

Hedge
reserve 4
$m

Other
reserves 3
$m

Retained
earnings 4
$m

Non-
controlling
interest
$m

Total
$m

Total
equity 4
$m

 147.5 

 619.3 

 48.4 

 (232.2)

128.2

–

740.9

778.0 2,230.1

12.4 2,242.5

30

20

24

24

26

25

30

20

24

26

25

–
–
–

–

–
–
–

–

60.0

693.8

0.7
–

13.7
–

–

–

–

–

–
–
–

–

–

–
–

–

–

–
–
–

9.0

–

–
–

–

–

–
–
(130.8)

(60.6)
–
(13.2)

–

–

–
–

–

–

–

–

–
–

–

–

–
–
–

–

–

–
–

–

–

60.6
(176.3)
–

–
(176.3)
(144.0)

–
1.0
–

–
(175.3)
(144.0)

–

–

9.0

753.8

–
(15.2)

14.4
(15.2)

34.2

34.2

–

–

–
–

–

9.0

753.8

14.4
(15.2)

34.2

–

–

(3.0)

(3.0)

208.2 1,326.8

48.4

(223.2)

(2.6)

(73.8)

740.9

681.3 2,706.0

10.4 2,716.4

 –
 –
 –

 –
0.9

 –
 –

 –

 –

 –
 –
 –

 –
17.4

 –
 –

 –

 –

 –
 –
 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –

 –

 –
 –
 –

 –
 –
133.4

 –
 –
68.9

(15.4)
 –

 –
 –

 –

 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –

 –

 –
 –

 –
 –

 –

 –

(110.8)
 84.8 
–

(110.8)
 84.8 
 202.3 

 – 
 0.6 
–

(110.8)
 85.4 
 202.3 

–
 – 

(15.4)
 18.3 

– 
14.3

(18.2)
(14.3)

(18.2)
 –

26.2

26.2

 –
 –

 – 
 –

 –

(15.4)
 18.3 

(18.2)
 –

26.2

 –

 –

(11.0)

(11.0)

 –
 –
 –

 –
 –

 –

 –

At 1 January 2017
Adjustment on 
adoption of IFRS 9, 
net of tax
Loss for the year
Hedges, net of tax
Currency translation 
adjustments
Issue of shares – 
Rights Issue
Issue of employee 
share options
Vesting of PSP shares
Share-based 
payment charges 
Distribution to 
non-controlling 
interests

At 1 January 2018
Adjustment on 
adoption of IFRS 9, 
net of tax
Profit for the year
Hedges, net of tax
Currency translation 
adjustments
Issue of shares
Vesting of employee 
share options
Transfers
Share-based 
payment charges 
Acquisition of non-
controlling interests

At 31 December 2018

 209.1   1,344.2 

 48.4 

(238.6)

 130.8 

(4.9)

 755.2 

 649.0   2,893.2 

 –   2,893.2 

1.  The foreign currency translation reserve represents exchange gains and losses arising on translation of foreign currency subsidiaries, monetary items receivable 
from or payable to a foreign operation for which settlement is neither planned nor likely to occur, which form part of the net investment in a foreign operation, 
and exchange gains or losses arising on long-term foreign currency borrowings which are a hedge against the Group’s overseas investments.

2.  The hedge reserve represents gains and losses on derivatives classified as effective cash flow hedges. 

3.  Other reserves include the merger reserve. The value associated with the treasury shares reserve, disclosed in the previous year, has been represented as part 

of retained earnings, consistent with share-based payment reserve movements. At 31 December 2018 the Group did not hold any shares in a Tullow Oil Employee 
Trust to satisfy awards held under the Group’s share incentive plans (note 26).

4.  For further details of the adjustment on adoption of IFRS 9, refer to the accounting policies section. Note that the figures for 1 January 2017 to 1 January 2018 

have been restated in relation to the adoption of IFRS 9.

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119

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSGROUP CASH FLOW STATEMENT
YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018

Cash flows from operating activities
Profit/(loss) before taxation 
Adjustments for: 
Depreciation, depletion and amortisation 
(Gain)/loss on disposal
Exploration costs written off 
Impairment of property, plant and equipment, net
Provision for onerous service contracts, net
Payment under onerous service contracts
Decommissioning expenditure
Share-based payment charge
Gain on hedging instruments
Finance revenue 
Finance costs 

Operating cash flow before working capital movements
(Increase)/decrease in trade and other receivables 
Decrease/(increase) in inventories 
Increase/(decrease) in trade payables 

Cash generated from operating activities

Income taxes (paid)/received 

Net cash from operating activities 

Cash flows from investing activities 
Proceeds from disposals
Purchase of intangible exploration and evaluation assets
Purchase of property, plant and equipment 
Interest received 

Net cash used in investing activities 

Cash flows from financing activities 
Net proceeds from issue of share capital 
Debt arrangement fees 
Repayment of borrowings
Drawdown of borrowings
Repayment of obligations under finance leases
Finance costs paid
Distribution to non-controlling interests

Net cash used in financing activities 

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 
Foreign exchange gain

Notes

2018
$m

2017

Restated 1 

$m

 260.5 

(285.9)

11
9
10
11
22
22
22
26
20
5
5

9
31
31

31
31
31

25

16

 584.1 
(21.3)
 295.2 
 18.2 
 167.4 
(208.6)
(99.1)
 23.8 
(2.4)
(58.4)
 328.7 

592.2
1.6
143.4
541.1
(1.0)
–
(25.7)
33.9
(1.4)
(42.0)
351.7

 1,288.1 
(100.2)
 32.5 
 86.9 

1,307.9
122.0
(20.8)
(251.4)

 1,307.3 

1,157.7

(103.3)

65.2

 1,204.0 

1,222.9

 9.9 
(202.1)
(238.4)
 2.9 

8.0
(189.7)
(117.8)
3.1

(427.7)

(296.4)

 – 
(15.0)
(1,755.1)
 1,240.0 
(117.4)
(234.5)
–

768.1
(56.4)
(1,613.6)
305.0
(62.6)
(265.4)
(3.0)

(882.0)

(927.9)

(105.7)
 284.0 
 1.5 

(1.4)
281.9
3.5

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

16

 179.8 

284.0

1.  2017 figures restated in relation to the implementation of IFRS 9 Financial Instruments. Refer to the accounting policies section.

120

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSACCOUNTING POLICIES
YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018

(a) General information 
Tullow Oil plc is a company incorporated and domiciled in the 
United Kingdom under the Companies Act 2006. The address 
of the registered office is Tullow Oil plc, Building 9, Chiswick 
Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, London W4 5XT. The primary 
activity of the Group is the discovery and production of oil 
and gas.

(b) Adoption of new and revised standards
New International Financial Reporting Standards adopted
New and revised standards and interpretations adopted in the 
current year did not have any significant impact on the amounts 
reported in these Financial Statements, except for IFRS 9. 
This is discussed below, along with analysis regarding IFRS 15.

IFRS 9 Financial Instruments
The implementation of IFRS 9 had two key impacts on the 
Group’s Financial Statements. These related to the treatment 
of modification or exchange of financial liabilities and the 
treatment of the ‘cost of hedging’ of options.

1)  The classification and measurement of financial liabilities 

is materially consistent with that required by IAS 39 with the 
exception of the treatment of modification or exchange of 
financial liabilities which do not result in derecognition. 
The Group has identified that retrospective application of 
IFRS 9 has increased the carrying value of the Reserves 
Based Lending credit facility by $110.8 million and resulted 
in the need to record a modification loss due to the refinancing 
of the facility in November 2017. The implementation reduced 
retained earnings on 1 January 2018. This will lower the 
finance costs recognised over the remaining life of the 
facility compared to the treatment under IAS 39. No other 
material impact as a result of IFRS 9’s classification and 
measurement requirements has been identified.

2)  The Group adopted the hedge accounting requirements 
of IFRS 9 effective 1 January 2018. At the date of initial 
application, all of the Group’s existing hedging relationships 
were eligible to be treated as continuing hedging relationships. 
The new hedge accounting rules align the hedge accounting 
treatments more closely with the Group risk management 
strategy, and address previous inconsistencies and weakness 
in the hedge accounting model in IAS 39. The Group has 
identified a change in the treatment of the ‘cost of hedging’ 
of options on adoption of IFRS 9, specifically with respect 
to the fair value movement of time value. The fair value 
movement of time value, to the extent which it relates 
to the hedged item, has been presented as a separate 
component in the statement of comprehensive income 
and expenses. The ‘gain/loss on hedging instruments’ 
line in the Group’s income statement now solely captures 
ineffectiveness in the underlying hedges. This requirement 
has been applied retrospectively, as required, on adoption 
of IFRS 9. 

A summary of the impact of the implementation of IFRS 9 
is shown in note 30.

IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers
The implementation of IFRS 15 has not impacted the 
presentation of the Group’s sales revenue.

Disclosure of disaggregated revenue information consistent 
with the requirement included in IFRS 15 has not had an 
impact on the information presented in note 1. The Group’s 
accounting policy under IFRS 15 is that revenue is recognised 
when the Group satisfies a performance obligation by 
transferring oil or gas to a customer. The title to oil and gas 
typically transfers to a customer at the same time as the 
customer takes physical possession of the oil or gas. Typically, 
at this point in time, the performance obligations of the Group 
are fully satisfied. The accounting for revenue under IFRS 15 
does not, therefore, represent a substantive change from the 
Group’s previous accounting policy for recognising revenue 
from sales to customers.

Upcoming International Financial Reporting Standards 
not yet adopted
At the date of authorisation of these Financial Statements, the 
following standards and interpretations which have not been 
applied in these Financial Statements, but will have an impact 
on future Financial Statements, were in issue but not yet effective 
(and in some cases had not yet been adopted by the EU):

IFRS 16 Leases
The adoption of IFRS 16 Leases, which the Group will adopt 
for the year commencing 1 January 2019, will impact both 
the measurement and disclosures of leases over a low-value 
threshold and with terms longer than one year. The lease 
expense recognition pattern for lessees will generally be 
accelerated. Additional lease liabilities and right-of-use assets 
are expected to be recorded. Where leases are contracted by 
Tullow as operator of a Joint Venture these lease liabilities are 
expected to be recorded on a gross basis, along with additional 
Joint Venture receivables to represent Joint Venture Partner 
contributions expected to meet the lease obligations. The 
cash flow statement will be affected as payments for the 
principal portion of the lease liability will be presented within 
financing activities. A summary of the impact of the 
implementation of IFRS 16 is shown in note 30.

(c) Changes in accounting policy 
The Group’s accounting policies are consistent with the 
prior year.

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121

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS(d) Basis of accounting 
The Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance 
with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as 
issued by the International Accounting Standards Board 
(IASB). The Financial Statements have also been prepared in 
accordance with IFRS as adopted by the European Union and 
therefore the Group Financial Statements comply with Article 
4 of the EU IAS Regulation. 

The Financial Statements have been prepared on the historical 
cost basis, except for derivative financial instruments that 
have been measured at fair value and assets classified as 
held for sale which are carried at fair value less cost to sell. 
The 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 a going concern basis (refer to the Finance 
Review section of the Director’s report).

The principal accounting policies adopted by the Group are set 
out below. 

(e) Basis of consolidation
The consolidated Financial Statements incorporate the 
Financial Statements of the Company and entities controlled 
by the Company (its subsidiaries) made up to 31 December 
each year. Control is achieved where the Company has the 
power over an investee entity, is exposed, or has rights, to 
variable returns from its involvement with the investee and 
has the ability to use its power to affect its returns. 
Non-controlling interests in the net assets of consolidated 
subsidiaries are identified separately from the Group’s equity 
therein. Non-controlling interests consist of the amount of 
those interests at the date of the original business 
combination (see below) and the non-controlling share of 
changes in equity since the date of the combination. Losses 
within a subsidiary are attributed to the non-controlling 
interest even if that results in a deficit balance. The Group 
does not have any material non-controlling interests.

The results of subsidiaries acquired or disposed of during 
the year are included in the Group income statement from 
the transaction date of acquisition, being the date on which 
the Group gains control, and will continue to be included 
until the date that control ceases.

Where necessary, adjustments are made to the Financial 
Statements of subsidiaries to bring the accounting policies 
used into line with those used by the Group.

All intra-Group transactions, balances, income and expenses 
are eliminated on consolidation.

Joint arrangements
The Group is engaged in oil and gas exploration, development 
and production through unincorporated joint arrangements; 
these are classified as joint operations in accordance with 
IFRS 11. The Group accounts for its share of the results 
and net assets of these joint operations. In addition, where 
Tullow acts as operator to the joint operation, the gross 
liabilities and receivables (including amounts due to or from 
non-operating partners) of the joint operation are included 
in the Group’s balance sheet.

(f) Assets classified as held for sale 
Non-current assets or disposal groups classified as held for 
sale are measured at the lower of carrying amount and fair 
value less costs to sell. A loss for any initial or subsequent 
write-down of the asset or disposal group to a revised fair 
value less costs to sell is recognised at each reporting date. 
Non-current assets and disposal groups are classified as held 
for sale if their carrying amount will be recovered through a 
sale transaction rather than through continuing use. This 
condition is regarded as met only when the sale is highly 
probable and the asset (or disposal group) is available for 
immediate sale in its present condition; management views 
this trigger as signature of a Sales and Purchase Agreement 
or Board approval. Management must be committed to the 
sale which should be expected to qualify for recognition as a 
completed sale within one year from the date of classification. 
Assets classified as held for sale and the corresponding 
liabilities are classified with current assets and liabilities 
on a separate line in the balance sheet. 

(g) Revenue
Sales revenue from contracts with customers represents the 
sales value, net of VAT, of the Group’s share of liftings in the 
year together with the gain/loss on realisation of cash flow 
hedges and tariff income. Revenue is recognised when 
performance obligations have been met, which is typically 
when goods are delivered and title has passed.

Interest income is accrued on a time basis, by reference 
to the principal outstanding and at the effective interest rate 
applicable, which is the rate that exactly discounts estimated 
future cash receipts through the expected life of the financial 
asset to that asset’s net carrying amount.

(h) Over/underlift
Lifting or offtake arrangements for oil and gas produced in 
certain of the Group’s jointly owned operations are such that 
each participant may not receive and sell its precise share of 
the overall production in each period. The resulting imbalance 
between cumulative entitlement and cumulative production 
less stock is underlift or overlift. Underlift and overlift are 
valued at market value and included within receivables and 
payables respectively. Movements during an accounting 
period are adjusted through cost of sales such that gross 
profit is recognised on an entitlements basis.

In respect of redeterminations, any adjustments to the 
Group’s net entitlement of future production are accounted for 
prospectively in the period in which the make-up oil is 
produced. Where the make-up period extends beyond the 
expected life of a field an accrual is recognised for the 
expected shortfall.

(i) Inventory 
Inventories, other than oil products, are stated at the lower 
of cost and net realisable value. Cost is determined by the 
first-in first-out method and comprises direct purchase costs, 
costs of production and transportation and manufacturing 
expenses. Net realisable value is determined by reference 
to prices existing at the balance sheet date.

Oil product is stated at net realisable value and changes in 
net realisable value are recognised in the income statement.

122

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSACCOUNTING POLICIES CONTINUEDYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018(j) Foreign currencies
The US dollar is the presentation currency of the Group. For 
the purpose of presenting consolidated Financial Statements, 
the assets and liabilities of the Group’s non-US dollar-
denominated functional entities are translated at exchange 
rates prevailing on the balance sheet date. Income and 
expense items are translated at the average exchange rates 
for the period. Currency translation adjustments arising on 
the restatement of opening net assets of non-US dollar 
subsidiaries, together with differences between the 
subsidiaries’ results translated at average rates versus 
closing rates, are recognised in the statement of 
comprehensive income and expense and transferred to the 
foreign currency translation reserve. All resulting exchange 
differences are classified as equity until disposal of the 
subsidiary. On disposal, the cumulative amounts of the 
exchange differences are recognised as income or expense.

Transactions in foreign currencies are recorded at the rates 
of exchange ruling at the transaction dates. Monetary assets 
and liabilities are translated into functional currency at the 
exchange rate ruling at the balance sheet date, with a 
corresponding charge or credit to the income statement. 
However, exchange gains and losses arising on monetary 
items receivable from or payable to a foreign operation for 
which settlement is neither planned nor likely to occur, which 
form part of the net investment in a foreign operation, are 
recognised in the foreign currency translation reserve and 
recognised in profit or loss on disposal of the net investment. 
In addition, exchange gains and losses arising on long-term 
foreign currency borrowings which are a hedge against the 
Group’s overseas investments are dealt with in reserves.

(k) Exploration, evaluation and production assets
The Group adopts the successful efforts method of accounting 
for exploration and evaluation costs. Pre-licence costs are 
expensed in the period in which they are incurred. All licence 
acquisition, exploration and evaluation costs and directly 
attributable administration costs are initially capitalised in 
cost centres by well, field or exploration area, as appropriate. 
Interest payable is capitalised insofar as it relates to specific 
development activities. 

These costs are then written off as exploration costs in the 
income statement unless commercial reserves have been 
established or the determination process has not been 
completed and there are no indications of impairment. 

All field development costs are capitalised as property, 
plant and equipment. Property, plant and equipment related 
to production activities is amortised in accordance with the 
Group’s depletion and amortisation accounting policy.

Cash consideration received on farm-down of exploration 
and evaluation assets is credited against the carrying value 
of the asset.

(l) Commercial reserves
Commercial reserves are proven and probable oil and gas 
reserves, which are defined as the estimated quantities of 
crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids which 
geological, geophysical and engineering data demonstrate 
with a specified degree of certainty to be recoverable in future 
years from known reservoirs and which are considered 
commercially producible. There should be a 50 per cent 
statistical probability that the actual quantity of recoverable 
reserves will be more than the amount estimated as proven 
and probable reserves and a 50 per cent statistical probability 
that it will be less.

(m) Depletion and amortisation
All expenditure carried within each field is amortised from the 
commencement of production on a unit of production basis, 
which is the ratio of oil and gas production in the period to 
the estimated quantities of commercial reserves at the end 
of the period plus the production in the period, generally on a 
field-by-field basis or by a group of fields which are reliant on 
common infrastructure. Costs used in the unit of production 
calculation comprise the net book value of capitalised costs 
plus the estimated future field development costs required to 
recover the commercial reserves remaining. Changes in the 
estimates of commercial reserves or future field development 
costs are dealt with prospectively.

(n) Impairment of property, plant and equipment
Where there has been a change in economic conditions that 
indicates a possible impairment in a discovery field, the 
recoverability of the net book value relating to that field 
is assessed by comparison with the estimated discounted 
future cash flows based on management’s expectations of 
future oil and gas prices and future costs.

In order to discount the future cash flows the Group 
calculates CGU-specific discount rates. The discount rates 
are based on an assessment of a relevant peer group’s 
post-tax weighted average cost of capital (WACC). The 
post-tax WACC is subsequently grossed up to a pre-tax rate. 
The Group then deducts any exploration risk premium which 
is implicit within a peer group’s WACC and subsequently 
applies additional country risk premium for CGUs in Gabon, 
an element of which is determined by whether the assets are 
onshore or offshore. 

Where there is evidence of economic interdependency 
between fields, such as common infrastructure, the fields 
are grouped as a single CGU for impairment purposes.

Where conditions giving rise to impairment subsequently 
reverse, the effect of the impairment charge is also reversed 
as a credit to the income statement, net of any amortisation 
that would have been charged since the impairment.

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123

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS(o) Decommissioning
Provision for decommissioning is recognised in full when 
the related facilities are installed. A corresponding amount 
equivalent to the provision is also recognised as part of the 
cost of the related property, plant and equipment. The amount 
recognised is the estimated cost of decommissioning, 
discounted to its net present value at a risk-free discount 
rate, and is re-assessed each year in accordance with local 
conditions and requirements. Changes in the estimated timing 
of decommissioning or decommissioning cost estimates are 
dealt with prospectively by recording an adjustment to the 
provision, and a corresponding adjustment to property, plant 
and equipment. The unwinding of the discount on the 
decommissioning provision is included as a finance cost.

(p) Property, plant and equipment
Property, plant and equipment is stated in the balance sheet 
at cost less accumulated depreciation and any recognised 
impairment loss. Depreciation on property, plant and 
equipment other than production assets is provided at rates 
calculated to write off the cost less the estimated residual 
value of each asset on a straight-line basis over its expected 
useful economic life of between three and ten years.

(q) Finance costs and debt
Borrowing costs directly attributable to the acquisition, 
construction or production of qualifying assets, which are 
assets that necessarily take a substantial period of time to 
get ready for their intended use or sale, are added to the cost 
of those assets, until such time as the assets are substantially 
ready for their intended use or sale.

Finance costs of debt are allocated to periods over the term 
of the related debt at a constant rate on the carrying amount. 
Arrangement fees and issue costs are deducted from the 
debt proceeds on initial recognition of the liability and are 
amortised and charged to the income statement as finance 
costs over the term of the debt.

(r) Share issue expenses and share premium account
Costs of share issues are written off against the premium 
arising on the issues of share capital.

(s) Taxation
Current and deferred tax, including UK corporation tax and 
overseas corporation tax, are provided at amounts expected to 
be paid using the tax rates and laws that have been enacted 
or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date. Deferred 
corporation tax is recognised on all temporary differences that 
have originated but not reversed at the balance sheet date 
where transactions or events that result in an obligation to 
pay more, or right to pay less, tax in the future have occurred 
at the balance sheet date. Deferred tax assets are recognised 
only to the extent that it is considered more likely than not 
that there will be suitable taxable profits from which the 
underlying temporary differences can be deducted. Deferred 
tax is measured on a non-discounted basis.

Deferred tax is provided on temporary differences arising on 
acquisitions that are categorised as business combinations. 
Deferred tax is recognised at acquisition as part of the 
assessment of the fair value of assets and liabilities acquired. 
Any deferred tax is charged or credited in the income 
statement as the underlying temporary difference is reversed.

Petroleum revenue tax (PRT) is treated as an income tax and 
deferred PRT is accounted for under the temporary difference 
method. Current UK PRT is charged as a tax expense on 
chargeable field profits included in the income statement 
and is deductible for UK corporation tax.

(t) Pensions
Contributions to the Group’s defined contribution pension 
schemes are charged to operating profit on an accruals basis. 

(u) Derivative financial instruments 
The Group uses derivative financial instruments to manage 
its exposure to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, 
interest rates and movements in oil and gas prices. 

Derivative financial instruments are stated at fair value.

The purpose for which a derivative is used is established 
at inception. To qualify for hedge accounting, the derivative 
must be highly effective in achieving its objective and 
this effectiveness must be documented at inception and 
throughout the period of the hedge relationship. The hedge 
must be assessed on an ongoing basis and determined to 
have been highly effective throughout the financial reporting 
periods for which the hedge was designated.

For the purpose of hedge accounting, hedges are classified 
as either fair value hedges, when they hedge the exposure 
to changes in the fair value of a recognised asset or liability, 
or cash flow hedges, where they hedge exposure to variability 
in cash flows that is either attributable to a particular risk 
associated with a recognised asset or liability or 
forecast transaction.

For cash flow hedges, the portion of the gains and losses on 
the hedging instrument that is determined to be an effective 
hedge is taken to other comprehensive income and the 
ineffective portion is recognised in the income statement. 
The gains and losses taken to other comprehensive income 
are subsequently transferred to the income statement during 
the period in which the hedged transaction affects the 
income statement. 

A similar treatment applies to foreign currency loans which 
are hedges of the Group’s net investment in the net assets 
of a foreign operation.

Gains or losses on derivatives that do not qualify for hedge 
accounting treatment (either from inception or during the life 
of the instrument) are taken directly to the income statement 
in the period.

124

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSACCOUNTING POLICIES CONTINUEDYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018(v) Convertible bonds
Where bonds issued with certain conversion rights are 
identified as compound instruments, the liability and equity 
components are separately recognised.

The fair value of the liability component on initial recognition 
is calculated by discounting the contractual stream of future 
cash flows using the prevailing market interest rate for 
similar non-convertible debt.

The difference between the fair value of the liability 
component and the fair value of the whole instrument is 
recorded as equity.

Transaction costs are apportioned between the liability 
and the equity components of the instrument based on 
the amounts initially recognised.

The liability component is subsequently measured at 
amortised cost using the effective interest rate method, 
in line with our other financial liabilities.

The equity component is not remeasured.

On conversion of the instrument, equity is issued and the 
liability component is derecognised. The original equity 
component recognised at inception remains in equity. 
No gain or loss is recognised on conversion.

(w) Leases
Leases are classified as finance leases whenever the terms 
of the lease transfer substantially all the risks and rewards of 
ownership to the lessee. A finance lease is recognised when 
the Group enters the uncancellable lease period and obtains 
the right to use the asset as intended. All other leases are 
classified as operating leases and are charged to the income 
statement on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

From the commencement of the lease assets held under 
finance leases are recognised as assets of the Group at their 
fair value or, if lower, at the present value of the minimum 
lease payments, each determined at the inception of the 
lease. The corresponding liability to the lessor is included 
in the balance sheet as a finance lease obligation. Lease 
payments are apportioned between finance charges and 
reduction of the lease obligation so as to achieve a constant 
rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability. 
Finance charges are charged directly against income, unless 
they are directly attributable to qualifying assets, in which 
case they are capitalised in accordance with the Group’s policy 
on borrowing costs.

(x) Share-based payments
The Group has applied the requirements of IFRS 2 Share-based 
Payments. The Group has share-based awards that are equity 
settled 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 
performance conditions. This fair value, adjusted by the 
Group’s estimate of the number of awards that will eventually 
vest as a result of non-market conditions, is expensed 
uniformly over the vesting period.

The fair values were calculated using a binomial option 
pricing model with suitable modifications to allow for 
employee turnover after vesting and early exercise. Where 
necessary, this model is supplemented with a Monte Carlo 
model. The inputs to the models include: the share price at 
date of grant; exercise price; expected volatility; expected 
dividends; risk-free rate of interest; and patterns of exercise 
of the plan participants.

For cash-settled awards, a liability is recognised for the goods 
or service acquired, measured initially at the fair value of the 
liability. At each balance sheet date until the liability is settled, 
and at the date of settlement, the fair value of the liability is 
remeasured, with any changes in fair value recognised in the 
income statement.

(y) Financial assets
All financial assets are recognised and derecognised on a 
trade date where the purchase or sale of a financial asset 
is under a contract whose terms require delivery of the 
investment within the time frame established by the market 
concerned, and are initially measured at fair value, plus 
transaction costs.

Financial assets are classified into the following specified 
categories: financial assets ‘at fair value through profit or loss’ 
(FVTPL); ‘held-to-maturity’ investments; ‘available-for-sale’ 
(AFS) financial assets; and ‘loans and receivables’. The 
classification depends on the nature and purpose of the 
financial assets and is determined at the time of 
initial recognition.

(z) Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash at bank, demand 
deposits and other short-term highly liquid investments that 
are readily convertible to a known amount of cash and are 
subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value.

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125

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS(aa) Loans and receivables
Trade receivables, loans and other receivables that have fixed 
or determinable payments that are not quoted in an active 
market are classified as loans and receivables. Loans and 
receivables are measured at amortised cost using the 
effective interest method, less any impairment. Interest 
income is recognised by applying the effective interest rate, 
except for short-term receivables when the recognition of 
interest would be immaterial.

(ab) Effective interest method
The effective interest method is a method of calculating the 
amortised cost of a financial asset and of allocating interest 
income over the relevant period. The effective interest rate is 
the rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash receipts 
(including all fees on points paid or received that form an integral 
part of the effective interest rate, transaction costs and other 
premiums or discounts) through the expected life of the 
financial asset, or, where appropriate, a shorter period.

Income is recognised on an effective interest basis for debt 
instruments other than those financial assets classified as 
at FVTPL. The Group chooses not to disclose the effective 
interest rate for debt instruments that are classified as at 
fair value through profit or loss.

(ac) Financial liabilities and equity instruments
Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified 
according to the substance of the contractual arrangements 
entered into.

(ad) Equity instruments
An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual 
interest in the assets of the Group after deducting all of its 
liabilities. Equity instruments issued by the Group are 
recorded at the proceeds received, net of direct issue costs.

(ae) Other financial liabilities
Other financial liabilities, including borrowings, are initially 
measured at fair value, net of transaction costs. Other 
financial liabilities are subsequently measured at amortised 
cost using the effective interest method, with interest expense 
recognised on an effective yield basis.

(af) Insurance proceeds
Insurance proceeds related to lost production under the 
Business Interruption insurance policy are recorded as other 
operating income in the income statement. Proceeds related 
to compensation for incremental operating costs under the 
Business Interruption and Hull and Machinery insurance 
policies are recorded within the operating costs line of cost 
of sales. Proceeds related to compensation for capital costs 
under the Hull and Machinery insurance policy where no 
asset is disposed are recorded within additions to property, 
plant and equipment.

(ag) Critical accounting judgements 
The Group assesses critical accounting judgements annually. 
The following are the critical judgements, apart from those 
involving estimations which are dealt with in policy (ah), that 
the Directors have made in the process of applying the 
Group’s accounting policies and that have the most significant 
effect on the amounts recognised in the Financial Statements.

Recognition of assets held for sale (note 17):
The Group signed a Sales and Purchase Agreement 
for farm-down of a portion of its interest in Uganda on 
9 January 2017. Management has exercised judgement in 
determining the present value of the consideration expected 
from the sale, and that this disposal met the requirements 
of IFRS 5 and that the associated assets and liabilities 
should be retained as held for sale.

The critical judgement in determining that the assets were 
held for sale was the probability of completion within 12 months. 
Management continues to conclude that the sale is highly 
probable within 12 months. If management had concluded 
differently and the transaction were not to complete in 2019 
$840.2 million would transfer from assets held for sale to 
intangible exploration and evaluation assets.

Carrying value of intangible exploration and evaluation assets 
(note 10):
The amounts for intangible exploration and evaluation assets 
represent active exploration projects. These amounts will be 
written off to the income statement as exploration costs unless 
commercial reserves are established or the determination 
process is not completed and there are no indications of 
impairment in accordance with the Group’s accounting policy. 
The process of determining whether there is an indicator 
for impairment or calculating the impairment requires 
critical judgement. 

The key areas in which management has applied judgement 
and estimation are as follows: the Group’s intention to proceed 
with a future work programme for a prospect or licence; the 
likelihood of licence renewal or extension; the assessment 
of whether sufficient data exists to indicate that, although 
a development in the specific area is likely to proceed, the 
carrying amount of the exploration and evaluation asset is 
unlikely to be recovered in full from successful development 
or by sale; and the success of a well result or geological or 
geophysical survey.

The most material area in where this judgement was applied 
during 2018 was in the assessment of impairment triggers, 
in accordance with IFRS 6, related to the Group’s Kenyan CGU 
where the book value is $1.1 billion. Management concluded 
that an impairment trigger related to the Kenyan CGU did 
not exist.

126

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSACCOUNTING POLICIES CONTINUEDYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018(ah) Key sources of estimation uncertainty
The key assumptions concerning the future, and other key 
sources of estimation uncertainty at the balance sheet date, 
that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment 
to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the 
next financial year, are discussed below.

Carrying value of property, plant and equipment (note 11):
Management performs impairment reviews on the Group’s 
property, plant and equipment assets at least annually 
with reference to indicators in IAS 36 Impairment of Assets. 
Where indicators of impairments or impairment reversals 
are present and an impairment or impairment reversal test 
is required, the calculation of the recoverable amount 
requires estimation of future cash flows within complex 
impairment models.

Key assumptions and estimates in the impairment models 
relate to: commodity prices assumptions, pre-tax discount 
rates and commercial reserves and the related cost profiles. 
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. The 
estimate is reviewed at least twice annually by management 
and is regularly reviewed by independent consultants. Proven 
and probable reserves are determined using estimates of oil 
and gas in place, recovery factors and future commodity 
prices, the latter having an impact on the total amount of 
recoverable reserves and the proportion of the gross reserves 
which are attributable to host governments under the terms 
of the Production Sharing Contracts. Future development 
costs are estimated taking into account the level of development 
required to produce the reserves by reference to operators, 
where applicable, and internal engineers.

The estimation applied by management to the exploration 
risk premium adjustment to its impairment discount rates, 
estimated future commodity prices and the forecast cash 
flows on the TEN asset would have the most material impact 
on the 2018 Financial Statements should management had 
concluded differently. Details on impact of these key estimates 
and judgements using sensitivities applied to impairment 
models can be found in note 11.

Decommissioning costs (note 22):
There is uncertainty around the cost of decommissioning as 
cost estimates can vary in response to many factors, including 
from changes to market rates for goods and services, to the 
relevant legal requirements, the emergence of new technology 
or experience at other assets. The expected timing, work 
scope, amount of expenditure and risk weighting may also 
change. Therefore significant estimates and assumptions are 
made in determining the provision for decommissioning.

The estimated decommissioning costs are reviewed annually 
by an internal expert and the results of this review are then 
assessed alongside estimates from operators. Provision for 
environmental clean-up and remediation costs is based on 
current legal and contractual requirements, technology and 
price levels.

Provisions for onerous service contracts (note 22):
Due to the historical reduction in work programmes the 
Group identified a number of onerous service contracts in 
prior years. Management has estimated the value of any 
future economic outflows associated with these contracts.

If management had concluded differently regarding the 
estimated value of any future economic outflows associated 
with these contracts the provision and income statement 
expense recorded would increase/decrease, respectively. 
Details on the magnitude of the potential increase can be 
found within the contingent liability disclosure in note 27.

Uncertain tax and regulatory positions (note 7)
The Group is subject to various claims which arise in the 
ordinary course of its business, including tax claims, cost 
recovery claims and claims from other regulatory bodies in 
a number of the jurisdictions in which the Group operates. 
In order to assess whether these claims should be provided 
for in the Financial Statements management has assessed 
all claims in the context of the laws and operating agreements 
of the countries in which it operates. Management has applied 
judgement in assessing the likely outcome of the claims and 
has estimated the financial impact based on external tax and 
legal advice and prior experience of such claims.

www.tullowoil.com

127

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018

Note 1. Segmental reporting
The information reported to the Group’s Chief Executive Officer for the purposes of capital allocation and assessment of 
segment performance is focused on three Business Delivery Teams, West Africa including European decommissioning assets, 
East Africa and New Ventures. Therefore the Group’s reportable segments under IFRS 8 are West Africa; East Africa; and 
New Ventures. The following tables present revenue, loss and certain asset and liability information regarding the Group’s 
reportable business segments for the years ended 31 December 2018 and 31 December 2017.

2018 
Sales revenue by origin
Other operating income –  
lost production insurance proceeds

Segment result

Gain on disposal
Unallocated corporate expenses

Operating profit
Gain on hedging instruments
Finance revenue
Finance costs

Profit before tax
Income tax expense

Profit after tax

Total assets

Total liabilities

Other segment information
Capital expenditure:
  Property, plant and equipment

Intangible exploration and evaluation assets

Depreciation, depletion and amortisation
Impairment of property, plant and equipment, net
Exploration costs written off

Notes

West Africa
$m

East Africa
$m

New Ventures
$m

Unallocated
$m

Total
$m

 1,859.2 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 1,859.2 

 188.4 

 188.4 

 528.0 

(74.5)

(100.7)

 248.0 

 600.8 

 21.3 
(93.7)

 528.4 
 2.4 
 58.4 
(328.7)

 260.5 
(175.1)

 85.4 

 7,618.9 

 2,662.0 

 280.8 

 73.7 

 10,635.4 

(4,252.7)

(141.8)

(96.9)

(3,250.8)

(7,742.2)

11
10
11
11
10

 257.1 
 2.1 
(569.2)
(18.2)
(139.9)

 1.4 
 168.3 
(0.2)
–
(74.5)

 4.3 
 60.0 
 – 
 – 
(80.8)

 5.3 
 – 
(14.7)
 – 
 – 

 268.1 
 230.4 
(584.1)
(18.2)
(295.2)

All sales are to external customers. Included in revenue arising from West Africa are revenues of approximately $429.8 million, 
$280.9 million, $222.8 million, $203.6 million and $189.4 million relating to the Group’s customers who each contribute more 
than 10 per cent of total sales revenue (2017: $357.9 million, $316.3 million and $287.7 million) relating to the Group’s largest 
customers. As the sales of oil and gas are made on global markets and are highly liquid, the Group does not place reliance on 
the largest customers mentioned above.

Unallocated expenditure and net liabilities include amounts of a corporate nature and not specifically attributable to a 
reportable segment. The liabilities comprise the Group’s external debt and other non-attributable corporate liabilities. 
The unallocated capital expenditure for the period comprises the acquisition of non-attributable corporate assets.

128

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 
Note 1. Segmental reporting continued

2017 (restated) 
Sales revenue by origin
Other operating income –  
lost production insurance proceeds

Segment result

Loss on disposal
Unallocated corporate expenses

Operating profit
Gain on hedging instruments
Finance revenue
Finance costs

Loss before tax
Income tax credit

Loss after tax

Total assets

Total liabilities

Other segment information
Capital expenditure:
  Property, plant and equipment

Intangible exploration and evaluation assets

Depreciation, depletion and amortisation
Impairment of property, plant and equipment
Exploration costs written off

Sales revenue and non-current assets by origin

Congo
Côte d’Ivoire
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Ghana
Mauritania
Netherlands
UK
Other

Total West Africa

Kenya
Uganda

Total East Africa

Norway
Other

Total New Ventures

Unallocated

Notes

West Africa
$m

East Africa
$m

New Ventures
$m

Unallocated
$m

Total
$m

1,722.5

–

86.9

–

–

–

–

–

1,722.5

162.1

162.1

(2.2)

(133.9)

183.0

133.8

(1.6)
(109.8)

22.4
1.4
42.0
(351.7)

(285.9)
110.6

(175.3)

7,857.2

2,585.2

306.0

280.1

11,028.5

(4,295.6)

(169.2)

(97.1)

(3,750.2)

(8,312.1)

11
10
11
11
10

43.1
5.5
(577.1)
(539.1)
(6.9)

1.1
257.5
(0.5)
–
(2.3)

0.3
56.0
–
–
(134.2)

5.6
–
(14.6)
–
–

50.1
319.0
(592.2)
(539.1)
(143.4)

Sales revenue
2018
$m

Sales revenue
2017
$m

Non-current 
assets
2018
$m

Non-current
 assets
2017
$m

1.1
44.9
146.6
213.6
1,404.1
2.1
–
46.8
–

8.8
42.3
92.2
251.8
1,196.1
13.8
29.4
88.1
–

–
 86.7 
 72.2 
 171.1 
 5,171.5 
–
–
–
–

–
74.5
134.7
161.9
5,675.1
–
–
–
–

1,859.2

1,722.5

 5,501.5 

6,046.2

–
–

–

–
–

–

–

–
–

–

–
–

–

–

 1,131.2 
 631.9 

1,064.8
574.4

 1,763.1 

1,639.2

 12.3 
 169.7 

 182.0 

 63.8 

13.5
194.6

208.1

85.4

Total revenue/non-current assets

1,859.2

1,722.5

 7,511.4 

7,978.9

Non-current assets excludes derivative financial instruments and deferred tax assets.

www.tullowoil.com

129

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 
 
Note 2. Total revenue

Sales revenue (excluding tariff income)
  Oil and gas revenue from the sale of goods

(Loss)/gain on realisation of cash flow hedges

Tariff income

Total sales revenue
Other operating income – lost production insurance proceeds

Total revenue

Notes

2018
$m

2017
$m

20

6

 1,943.0 
(86.8)

 1,856.2 
 3.0 

 1,859.2 
 188.4 

1,592.6
110.0

1,702.6
19.9

1,722.5
162.1

 2,047.6

1,884.6

Finance revenue has been presented as part of net financing costs (refer to note 5).

Note 3. Staff costs
The average monthly number of employees and contractors (including Executive Directors) employed by the Group 
worldwide was: 

Administration
Technical

Total

Staff costs in respect of those employees were as follows:

Salaries
Social security costs
Pension costs

2018
Number

2017
Number

501
530

563
609

1,031

1,172

2018
$m

 167.5 
 13.3 
 9.0 

2017
$m

183.5
6.9
14.8

 189.8 

205.2

The decrease in staff costs is due to decreased employee numbers as a result of continued cost reduction initiatives. A proportion 
of the Group’s staff costs shown above is recharged to the Group’s Joint Venture Partners, a proportion is allocated to operating 
costs and a proportion is capitalised into the cost of fixed assets under the Group’s accounting policy for exploration, evaluation 
and production assets with the remainder classified as an administrative overhead cost in the income statement. The net staff 
cost recognised in the income statement was $43.5 million (2017: $48.0 million).

The Group operates defined contribution pension schemes for staff and Executive Directors. The contributions are payable 
to external funds which are administered by independent trustees. Contributions during the year amounted to $9.0 million 
(2017: $14.8 million). As at 31 December 2018, there was a liability of $nil (2017: $nil) for contributions payable included in 
other payables.

Details of Directors’ remuneration, Directors’ transactions and Directors’ interests are set out in the part of the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report described as having been audited, which forms part of these Financial Statements. 

130

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018 
Note 4. Other costs

Operating loss is stated after charging/(deducting):
Operating costs
Operating lease expense for the TEN FPSO
Depletion and amortisation of oil and gas assets
Underlift, overlift and oil stock movements
Share-based payment charge included in cost of sales
Other cost of sales

Total cost of sales

Share-based payment charge included in administrative expenses
Depreciation of other fixed assets
Relocation costs associated with restructuring
Other administrative costs

Total administrative expenses

Total restructuring costs

Fees payable to the Company’s auditor for: 
The audit of the Company’s annual accounts
The audit of the Company’s subsidiaries pursuant to legislation

Total audit services

Non-audit services:
Audit-related assurance services – half-year review
Corporate finance services
Other services

Total non-audit services

Total

Notes

2018
$m

2017
$m

11

26

26
11

 327.0 
–
 567.7 
 40.7 
 1.0 
 29.6 

386.2
62.5
574.3
(2.3)
1.1
47.5

 966.0 

1,069.3

 22.8 
 16.4 
(1.3)
 52.4 

 90.3 

3.4

0.4
1.8

2.2

0.4
0.1
0.1

0.6

2.8

32.8
17.9
1.6
43.0

95.3

14.5

0.3
1.6

1.9

0.3
1.1
0.1

1.5

3.4

Fees payable to Deloitte LLP and its associates for non-audit services to the Company are not required to be disclosed because 
the consolidated Financial Statements are required to disclose such fees on a consolidated basis.

Corporate finance services included services in relation to the issue of the 7.0 per cent Senior Notes due 2025 during 2018 
and the issue of the Rights Issue during 2017. Other services include ad hoc assurance services in relation to the Group’s JV 
agreements. The ratio of audit services to non-audit services is 3.5:1.

Details of the Company’s policy on the use of the auditor for non-audit services, the reasons why the auditor was used rather 
than another supplier and how the auditor’s independence and objectivity are safeguarded are set out in the Audit Committee 
Report on pages 70 to 76. No services were provided pursuant to contingent fee arrangements.

www.tullowoil.com

131

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNote 5. Net financing costs

Interest on bank overdrafts and borrowings
Interest on obligations under finance leases

Total borrowing costs
Less amounts included in the cost of qualifying assets

Finance and arrangement fees 
Other interest expense
Foreign exchange losses
Unwinding of discount on decommissioning provisions

Total finance costs

Interest income on amounts due from Joint Venture Partners for finance leases
Other finance revenue

Total finance revenue

Net financing costs

Notes

10

22

2018
$m

 276.0 
 101.5 

 377.5 
(65.3)

 312.2 
(0.6)
 2.7 
 – 
 14.4 

 328.7 

(52.7)
(5.7)

(58.4)

2017
$m

290.7
46.1

336.8
(66.5)

270.3
2.8
1.8
57.1
19.7

351.7

(21.0)
(21.0)

(42.0)

270.3

309.7

Borrowing costs included in the cost of qualifying assets during the year arose on the general borrowing pool and are calculated 
by applying a capitalisation rate of 6.9 per cent (2017: 7.5 per cent) to cumulative expenditure on such assets.

Note 6. Insurance proceeds
During 2018 the Group continued to issue insurance claims in respect of the Jubilee Turret Remediation Project. Insurance 
proceeds of $310.8 million were recorded in the year ended 31 December 2018 (2017: $220.9 million). Proceeds related to lost 
production under the Business Interruption insurance policy of $188.4 million (2017: $162.1 million) were recorded as other 
operating income – lost production insurance proceeds in the income statement. Proceeds related to compensation for 
incremental operating costs under the Business Interruption and Hull and Machinery insurance policies of $45.6 million 
(2017: $50.9 million) were recorded within the operating costs line of cost of sales (see note 4). Proceeds related to 
compensation for capital costs under the Hull and Machinery insurance policy of $76.9 million (2017: $7.9 million) were 
recorded within additions to property, plant and equipment (see note 11).

Note 7. Taxation on profit/(loss) on ordinary activities
Analysis of expense/(credit) for the year

Current tax
UK corporation tax
Foreign tax

Total corporate tax
UK petroleum revenue tax 

Total current tax

Deferred tax
UK corporation tax
Foreign tax

Total deferred corporate tax
Deferred UK petroleum revenue tax

Total deferred tax

Total tax expense/(credit)

132

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

Notes

2018
$m

(37.3)
 171.7 

 134.4 
 – 

 134.4 

 33.9 
(11.3)

 22.6 
 18.1 

2017
$m

30.1
6.2

36.3
(2.1)

34.2

(8.7)
(114.6)

(123.3)
(21.5)

23

 40.7 

(144.8)

 175.1 

(110.6)

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018Note 7. Taxation on profit/(loss) on ordinary activities continued
Factors affecting tax credit for the year
The tax rate applied to profit on ordinary activities in preparing the reconciliation below is the UK corporation tax rate applicable 
to the Group’s non-upstream UK profits. The difference between the total tax expense/(credit) shown above and the amount 
calculated by applying the standard rate of UK corporation tax applicable to UK profits of 19 per cent (2017: 19 per cent) to the 
profit/(loss) before tax is as follows:

Group profit/(loss) on ordinary activities before tax 

Tax on Group profit/(loss) on ordinary activities at the standard UK corporation tax rate of 19% (2017: 19%)
Effects of:
Non-deductible exploration expenditure
Fair value movements on derivatives
Other non-deductible expenses
Derecognition of deferred tax previously recognised
Recognition of deferred tax previously unrecognised
Utilisation of tax losses not previously recognised
Net losses not recognised
Adjustment relating to prior years
Adjustments to deferred tax relating to change in tax rates
Higher rate of taxation on Norway losses
Other tax rates applicable outside the UK and Norway
PSC income not subject to corporation tax 
Tax incentives for investment
Other income not subject to corporation tax

2018
$m

260.5

 49.5 

 20.8 
32.0
 12.8 
 37.3 
 – 
(10.6)
 7.7 
 1.0 
(2.1)
(10.0)
 52.4 
(8.8)
 – 
(6.9) 

2017
$m

(285.9)

(54.3)

21.6
–
10.1
–
(21.5)
(0.3)
18.4
1.9
12.6
13.1
(88.0)
(15.4)
(2.8)
(6.0)

Group total tax expense/(credit) for the year

 175.1 

(110.6)

The Finance Act 2016 further reduced the main rate of UK corporation tax applicable to all companies subject to corporation 
tax, except for those within the oil and gas ring fence, to 19 per cent from 1 April 2017 and 17 per cent from 1 April 2020. These 
changes were substantively enacted on 6 September 2016 and hence the effect of the change on the deferred tax balances has 
been included, depending upon when deferred tax is expected to reverse.

The Group’s profit before taxation will continue to arise in jurisdictions where the effective rate of taxation differs from that 
in the UK, such as Ghana (35 per cent), Gabon (50 per cent), and Equatorial Guinea (35 per cent). Furthermore, unsuccessful 
exploration expenditure is often incurred in jurisdictions where the Group has no taxable profits, such that no related tax benefit 
arises. Accordingly, the Group’s tax charge will continue to vary according to the jurisdictions in which pre-tax profits and 
exploration costs written off arise. 

The Group has tax losses of $3,581.3 million (2017: $3,642.0 million) that are available for offset against future taxable profits 
in the companies in which the losses arose. Deferred tax assets have not been recognised in respect of these losses as they 
may not be used to offset taxable profits elsewhere in the Group due to uncertainty of recovery.

The Group has recognised deferred tax assets of $527.5 million (2017: $530.0 million) in relation to tax losses only to the extent 
of anticipated future taxable income or gains in relevant jurisdictions.

No deferred tax liability is recognised on temporary differences of $7.8 million (2017: $7.9 million) relating to unremitted earnings 
of overseas subsidiaries as the Group is able to control the timing of the reversal of these temporary differences and it is 
probable that they will not reverse in the foreseeable future. 

Tax relating to components of other comprehensive income
During 2018 $nil (2017: $24.3 million) of tax has been recognised through other comprehensive income of which $nil 
(2017: $24.9 million) is current and $nil (2017: $0.6 million) is deferred tax relating to all debit (2017: debit) on cash flow 
hedges arising in the year.

Current tax assets
As at 31 December 2018, current tax assets were $60.5 million (2017: $57.7 million) of which $58.7 million relates to the UK 
(2017: $44.6 million).

www.tullowoil.com

133

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNote 8. Earnings/(loss) per ordinary share
Basic earnings/(loss) per ordinary share amounts are calculated by dividing net profit/(loss) for the year attributable to ordinary 
equity holders of the Parent by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the year.

Diluted earnings/(loss) per ordinary share amounts are calculated by dividing net earnings/(loss) for the year attributable to 
ordinary equity holders of the Parent by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the year plus the 
weighted average number of dilutive ordinary shares that would be issued if employee and other share options or the convertible 
bonds were converted into ordinary shares.

Profit/(loss)
Net profit/(loss) attributable to equity shareholders
Effect of dilutive potential ordinary shares

Diluted net profit/(loss) attributable to equity shareholders

Number of shares
Basic weighted average number of shares
Dilutive potential ordinary shares

Diluted weighted average number of shares

2018
$m

 84.8 
 – 

 84.8 

2018
Number

2017
$m

(176.3)
–

(176.3)

2017
Number

1,391,103,880 1,286,235,130
44,294,728

47,493,251

1,438,597,131 1,330,529,858

Note 9. Disposals
During October 2018 Tullow disposed of its 9.9 per cent ownership of Ikon Science for $6.2 million, resulting in a gain on disposal 
of $5.2 million. 

During December 2018 Tullow recorded a gain of $11.0 million in relation to amounts refunded to Tullow in relation to the 
disposal of the Orwell field in the UK in a prior year. 

The divestment of the Norway business completed during 2017 with two sales that were executed in December 2016 completing 
during 2017 with two separate parties. The Group no longer holds any licences on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. 

On 10 November 2017 Tullow completed the sale of its remaining Dutch assets to Hague and London Oil plc (HALO). This resulted 
in a loss on disposal of $1.6 million in 2017. During 2018, a gain on disposal was recorded as a result of the recognition of 
$5.1 million of contingent deferred consideration. The Group no longer holds any licences in the Netherlands. 

Note 10. Intangible exploration and evaluation assets

At 1 January 
Additions
Disposals
Amounts written off 
Transfer to property, plant and equipment
Net transfer to assets held for sale
Currency translation adjustments

At 31 December 

Notes

1
9

11
17

2018
$m

 1,933.4 
 230.4 
(4.0)
(295.2)
– 
 32.2 
1.8

2017
$m

2,025.8
319.0
(40.0)
(143.4)
(188.7)
(43.4)
4.1

1,898.6

1,933.4

Included within 2018 additions is $65.3 million (note 5) of capitalised interest (2017: $66.5 million). The Group only capitalises 
interest in respect of intangible exploration and evaluation assets where it is considered that development is ongoing. 

Transfers to property, plant and equipment in 2017 related to the Greater Jubilee Full Field Development Plan approval and 
the cost associated with the Mahogany and Teak discovery. 

134

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018 
Note 10. Intangible exploration and evaluation assets continued
The below table provides a summary of the exploration costs written off on a pre- and post-tax basis by country.

Country

Ghana
Ghana
Mauritania
Namibia
Namibia
Pakistan
Suriname
Uganda
Uruguay
Zambia
Other
New Ventures

Total write-off

CGU

Wawa
Akasa
Block C18
PEL 37
PEL 30
Various
Block 54
Assets held for sale
Country
Country
Various
Various

Rationale for 
2018
write-off

2018
Pre-tax 
write-off
$m

2018
Post-tax 
write-off
$m

2018
Remaining 
recoverable 
amount 
$m

g
g
b,c
a
a
b
b,c
e
d
d
b
f

42.7
97.1
8.5
13.0
9.0
1.1
3.6
74.5
16.3
4.5
0.3
24.6

27.8
63.1
8.5
13.0
9.0
1.1
3.6
74.5
16.3
4.5
0.3
24.6

295.2

246.3

–
–
–
25.9
–
–
–
n/a
–
–
–
–

–

a.  Current year unsuccessful exploration results.

b.  Current year expenditure and actualisation of accruals associated with CGUs previously written off.

c.  Licence relinquishments or expiry.

d.  Country exit.

e.  Revision of value based on fair value calculation.

f.  New Ventures expenditure is written off as incurred.

g.  Exploration and evaluation assets associated with Wawa and Akasa in Ghana were written off during 2018 as substantive expenditure on further exploration work 

on these licences is not planned in the near-term.

Note 11. Property, plant and equipment

Cost
At 1 January
Additions 
Disposals
Transfer from intangible assets
Currency translation adjustments

At 31 December

Depreciation, depletion and amortisation
At 1 January
Charge for the year
Impairment loss
Reversal of impairment loss
Disposal
Currency translation adjustments 

2018
Oil and gas
 assets
$m

2018
Other fixed 
assets
$m

Notes

2018
Total
$m

2017
Oil and gas 
assets
$m

2017
Other fixed 
assets
$m

2017
Total
$m

1,6

10

4

11,592.6
 261.5 
 – 
 – 
(60.1)

279.7
 6.6 
(0.7)
 – 
(14.6)

11,872.3
 268.1 
(0.7)
 – 
(74.7)

10,772.5
880.7
(362.6)
188.7
113.3

251.9
7.0
(1.6)
–
22.4

11,024.4
887.7
(364.2)
188.7
135.7

 11,794.0 

 271.0 

 12,065.0 

11,592.6

279.7

11,872.3

(6,425.3)
(567.7)
(55.8)
37.6
 – 
 60.1 

(192.3)
(16.4)
–
–
 0.7 
 10.5 

(6,617.6)
(584.1)
(55.8)
37.6
 0.7 
 70.6 

(5,500.8)
(574.3)
(584.5)
43.4
300.0
(109.1)

(160.7)
(17.9)
–
–
1.7
(15.4)

(5,661.5)
(592.2)
(584.5)
43.4
301.7
(124.5)

At 31 December

(6,951.1)

(197.5)

(7,148.6)

(6,425.3)

(192.3)

(6,617.6)

Net book value at 31 December

 4,842.9 

 73.5 

 4,916.4 

5,167.3

87.4

5,254.7

The carrying amount of the Group’s oil and gas assets includes an amount of $685.2 million (2017: $816.7 million) in respect 
of assets held under finance leases and $44.3 million in relation to capitalised interest. The currency translation adjustments 
arose due to the movement against the Group’s presentation currency, USD, of the Group’s UK assets which have a functional 
currency of GBP. The 2018 income statement impairment charge is net of $nil insurance proceeds (2017: $2.0 million).

www.tullowoil.com

135

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNote 11. Property, plant and equipment continued

Limande and Turnix CGU (Gabon)
Echira, Niungo, and Igongo CGU (Gabon)
Tchatamba (Gabon)
Oba and Middle Oba CGU (Gabon)
Espoir (Côte d’Ivoire)
TEN (Ghana)
UK ‘CGU’d

Impairment

Trigger for 
2018
impairment/
(reversal)

2018
Impairment/
(reversal)
$m

Pre-tax 
discount rate
 assumption

a
a
a
a
c
e
b

14.2
2.9
(1.4)
2.8
(22.9)
(13.3)
35.9

18.2

13%
15%
13%
13%
10%
10%
n/a

a.  Decrease to short-term price assumptions (Dated Brent forward curve).

b.  Change to decommissioning estimate.

c.  Revision of value based on revisions to reserves.

d.  The fields in the UK are grouped into one CGU as all fields within those countries share critical gas infrastructure.

e.  Revision to cost profiles.

During 2018 and 2017 the Group applied the following nominal oil price assumptions for impairment assessments:

Year 1

Year 2

2018

2017

Forward curve

Forward curve

Forward curve

Forward curve

Year 3

$66/bbl

$59/bbl

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6 onwards

$68/bbl

$66/bbl

$75/bbl

$75/bbl inflated at 2% 

$68/bbl

$75/bbl inflated at 2% 

Oil prices stated above are benchmark prices to which an individual field price differential is applied. All impairment assessments 
are prepared on a value-in-use basis using discounted future cash flows based on 2P reserves profiles. A reduction or increase 
in the two-year forward curve of $15/bbl, based on the approximate volatility of the oil price over the previous two years, and a 
reduction or increase in the medium and long-term price assumptions of $15/bbl, based on the range seen in external oil price 
market forecasts, are considered to be reasonably possible changes for the purposes of sensitivity analysis. Decreases to oil 
prices specified above would increase the impairment charge by $934.2 million, whilst increases to oil prices specified above 
would result in a credit to the impairment charge of $850.7 million. A 1 per cent increase in the pre-tax discount rate would 
increase the impairment by $115.6 million. A 1 per cent decrease in the pre-tax discount rate would decrease the impairment 
by $115.6 million. The Group believes a 1 per cent change in the pre-tax discount rate to be a reasonable possibility based on 
historical analysis of the Group’s and a peer group of companies’ impairment discount rates.

Note 12. Investments

Unlisted investments

During October 2018 Tullow disposed of its 9.9 per cent ownership of Ikon Science.

2018
$m

–

2017
$m

1.0

136

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018 
Note 13. Other assets

Non-current
Amounts due from Joint Venture Partners
Uganda VAT recoverable
Other non-current assets

Current
Amounts due from Joint Venture Partners
Underlifts
Prepayments
VAT and WHT recoverable
Other current assets

Other current assets have increased due to the increase in the amount of funds due from insurers. 

Note 14. Inventories

Warehouse stocks and materials
Oil stocks

2018
$m

2017
$m

 614.9 
 33.1 
 48.4 

 696.4 

 670.8 
 22.9 
 73.4 
 3.8 
 198.1 

 969.0 

731.7
34.9
23.2

789.8

567.8
37.1
38.2
5.4
119.8

768.3

2018
$m

 54.6 
 80.2 

2017
$m

46.5
121.5

 134.8 

168.0

Inventories include a provision of $20.9 million (2017: $20.7 million) for warehouse stock and materials where it is considered 
that the net realisable value is lower than the original cost. 

Note 15. Trade receivables
Trade receivables comprise amounts due for the sale of oil and gas. No current receivables are overdue; therefore none have 
been impaired and no allowance for doubtful debt has been recognised (2017: $nil).

Note 16. Cash and cash equivalents

Cash at bank
Short-term deposits

Notes

20

2018
$m

175.5
4.3

179.8

2017
$m

228.8
55.2

284.0

Cash and cash equivalents includes an amount of $78.0 million (2017: $146.0 million) which the Group holds as operator 
in Joint Venture bank accounts. In addition to the cash held in Joint Venture bank accounts the Group had $14.1 million 
(2017: $16.1 million) held in restricted bank accounts.

www.tullowoil.com

137

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 
 
Note 17. Assets classified as held for sale
In 2017, Tullow announced that it had agreed a substantial farm-down of its assets in Uganda. Under the Sale and Purchase 
Agreement, Tullow has agreed to transfer 21.57 per cent of its 33.33 per cent Uganda interests for a total consideration of 
$900 million. Upon completion, the farm-down will leave Tullow with an 11.76 per cent interest in the upstream and pipeline 
projects. This is expected to reduce to a 10 per cent interest in the upstream project when the Government of Uganda formally 
exercises its back-in right. Although it has not yet been determined what interests the Governments of Uganda and Tanzania 
will take in the pipeline project, Tullow expects its interests in the upstream and pipeline projects to be aligned.

The consideration is split into $200 million in cash, consisting of $100 million payable on completion of the transaction, $50 million 
payable at FID and $50 million payable at First Oil. The remaining $700 million is in deferred consideration and represents 
reimbursement in cash of a proportion of Tullow’s past exploration and development costs. The deferred consideration is payable 
to Tullow as the upstream and pipeline projects progress and these payments will be used by Tullow to fund its share of the 
development costs. Tullow expects the deferred consideration to cover its share of upstream and pipeline development capex 
to First Oil and beyond. Following meetings in January 2019 between the CEOs of both Tullow and Total and H.E. President 
Museveni of Uganda, Tullow has agreed the basis for Capital Gains Tax on its $900 million Uganda farm-down to CNOOC and 
Total. The Government and the JV Partners are now engaged in discussions to finalise an agreement reflecting this tax treatment 
that will enable completion of the farm-down to take place. Any Capital Gains Tax is expected to be phased and partly linked to 
project progress. At completion of the farm-down, Tullow anticipates receiving a cash payment of $100 million and a payment of 
the working capital completion adjustment and deferred consideration for the pre-completion period of $108 million. A further 
$50 million cash consideration is due to be received when FID is taken on the development project.

The estimated fair value of the consideration was $829.7 million on recognition. The fair value of the deferred consideration was 
calculated using expected timing of receipts based on management’s best estimate of the expected capital profile of the project 
discounted at the relevant counterparty’s cost of borrowing. Additions to the value initially recognised related to capitalised interest 
transferred from intangible exploration and evaluation assets, which were $41.6 million in 2018 (2017: $43.4 million). The present 
value of the consideration was re-assessed as $840.2 million as at 31 December 2018. The difference to the carrying value of 
the net assets of the disposal group has been recognised as an exploration write-off (refer to note 10). Assets classified as held 
for sale represent a level 3 financial asset.

The major classes of assets and liabilities comprising the assets classified as held for sale as at 31 December 2018 were 
as follows: 

Intangible exploration and evaluation assets 

Total assets classified as held for sale 

Net assets of disposal groups

Note 18. Trade and other payables
Current liabilities

Trade payables
Other payables
Overlifts
Accruals
VAT and other similar taxes
Current portion of finance lease

Uganda
2018
$m

840.2

840.2

840.2

Total
2018
$m

840.2

840.2

840.2

Notes

21

Uganda
2017
$m

873.1

873.1

873.1

2018
$m

 97.1 
 105.1 
 16.6 
 747.8 
 16.5 
 221.2 

Total
2017
$m

873.1

873.1

873.1

2017
$m

83.3
114.5
30.4
552.0
17.3
228.1

 1,204.3 

1,025.6

Payables related to operated Joint Ventures (primarily in Ghana and Kenya) are recorded gross with the amount representing 
the partners’ share recognised in amounts due from Joint Venture Partners (note 13). The change in trade payables and in other 
payables predominantly represents timing differences and levels of work activity.

Non-current liabilities

Other non-current liabilities
Non-current portion of finance lease

Trade and other payables are non-interest bearing except for finance leases (note 21).

138

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

Notes

21

2018
$m

2017
$m

 91.3 
 1,191.0 

105.1
1,317.5

 1,282.3 

1,422.6

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018 
Note 19. Borrowings

Non-current
Bank borrowings – after two years but within five years
  Reserves Based Lending credit facility
  6.0% Senior Notes due 2020 ($650 million)
  6.25% Senior Notes due 2022 ($650 million)
  6.625% Convertible Bonds due 2021 ($300 million)
Bank borrowings – more than five years
  Reserves Based Lending credit facility
  7.0% Senior Notes due 2025 ($800 million)

Carrying value of total borrowings

2018
$m

2017
$m

568.0
–
 644.4 
 267.0 

 950.0 
 789.7 

811.0
642.5
643.5
256.9

1,252.5
–

3,219.1

3,606.4

3,219.1

3,606.4

The Group has provided security in respect of certain borrowings in the form of share pledges, as well as fixed and floating 
charges over certain assets of the Group.

On 23 March 2018, the Group completed its offering of $800 million of Senior Notes due 2025. The offering was significantly 
oversubscribed and increased from the initial offering of $650 million. Proceeds have been used to redeem, in full, Senior 
Notes due in 2020 and repay drawings on the RBL facility. 

In April 2018, commitments under the Corporate Revolving Credit Facility (RCF) reduced from $600 million to $500 million 
in line with the amortisation schedule; in addition, the Group voluntarily cancelled a further $150 million of commitments, 
reducing financing costs of undrawn committed facilities. In November 2018, the Group voluntarily cancelled the remaining 
facility, which was undrawn, in full to realise further cost savings from reduced commitment fees.

The Group has a Reserves Based Lending (RBL) facility which is split between a commercial bank facility and an International 
Finance Corporation (IFC) facility. During the year, commitments under the commercial bank facility remained at $2,400 million, 
and commitments under the IFC facility reduced from $100 million to $64 million in line with the amortisation schedule. The 
RBL facility incurs interest on outstanding debt at US dollar LIBOR plus an applicable margin. The outstanding debt is repayable 
in line with the amortisation of aggregate commitments over the period to the final maturity date of 21 November 2024, with an 
initial three-year grace period relating to the $2,400 million commercial bank facility, or such time as is determined by reference 
to the remaining reserves of the assets, whichever is earlier.

The Group has identified that retrospective application of IFRS 9 has increased the carrying value of the Reserves Based 
Lending credit facility by $110.8 million and resulted in the need to record a modification loss due to the refinancing of the 
facility in November 2017. Given the refinancing occurred in November 2017, implementation of IFRS 9 has reduced retained 
earnings on 1 January 2018. This will lower the finance costs recognised over the remaining life of the facility compared to the 
treatment under IAS 39. 

At 31 December 2018, available headroom under the RBL amounted to $974 million. At 31 December 2017, the available 
headroom under the facilities amounted to $945 million: $345 million under the RBL and $600 million under the RCF.

Capital management 
The Group defines capital as the total equity and net debt of the Group. Capital is managed in order to provide returns for 
shareholders and benefits to stakeholders and to safeguard the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern. Tullow is not 
subject to any externally imposed capital requirements. To maintain or adjust the capital structure, the Group may put in place 
new debt facilities, issue new shares for cash, repay debt, engage in active portfolio management, adjust the dividend payment 
to shareholders, or undertake other such restructuring activities as appropriate. No significant changes were made to the 
capital management objectives, policies or processes during the year ended 31 December 2018. The Group monitors capital 
on the basis of the gearing, being net debt divided by adjusted EBITDAX, and maintains a policy target of between 1x and 2x. 
A summary of the gearing calculation and a reconciliation of the metric to IFRS measures can be found in the Finance Review 
on page 39.

www.tullowoil.com

139

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 
 
Note 20. Financial instruments
Financial risk management objectives
The Group is exposed to a variety of risks including commodity price risk, interest rate risk, credit risk, foreign currency risk 
and liquidity risk. The Group holds a portfolio of commodity derivative contracts, with various counterparties. The Group holds a 
mix of fixed and floating rate debt to manage its interest rate risk. A portfolio of interest rate derivatives was held and matured 
during the year. The use of derivative financial instruments is governed by the Group’s policies approved by the Board of Directors. 
Compliance with policies and exposure limits are monitored and reviewed internally on a regular basis. The Group does not 
enter into or trade financial instruments, including derivatives, for speculative purposes.

Fair values of financial assets and liabilities
With the exception of the Senior Notes and the convertible bonds, the Group considers the carrying value of all its financial assets 
and liabilities to be materially the same as their fair value. The fair value of the Senior Notes, as determined using market 
values at 31 December 2018, was $1,373.0 million (2017: $1,310.7 million) compared to the carrying value of $1,434.2 million 
(2017: $1,286.0 million). 

The fair value of the convertible bonds, as determined using market values as at 31 December 2018, was $326.9 million 
(2017: $374.0 million) compared to the carrying value of $267.0 million (2017: $256.9 million).

The Group has no material financial assets that are past due. No material financial assets are impaired at the balance sheet 
date. All financial assets and liabilities with the exception of derivatives are measured at amortised cost.

Fair values of derivative instruments
All derivatives are recognised at fair value on the balance sheet with valuation changes recognised immediately in the income 
statement, unless the derivatives have been designated as a cash flow hedge. Fair value is the amount for which the asset or 
liability could be exchanged in an arm’s length transaction at the relevant date. Where available, fair values are determined 
using quoted prices in active markets. To the extent that market prices are not available, fair values are estimated by reference 
to market-based transactions, or using standard valuation techniques for the applicable instruments and commodities involved.

The Group’s derivative carrying and fair values were as follows:

Assets/liabilities

Cash flow hedges
Oil derivatives
Interest rate derivatives

Deferred premium
Oil derivatives

Total assets

Total liabilities

2018
Less than
1 year
$m

137.9
–

137.9

(61.0)

(61.0)

79.7

(2.7)

2018
1–3
 years
 $m

78.6
–

78.6

(27.4)

(27.4)

51.2

2018
Total
$m

216.5
–

216.5

(88.4)

(88.4)

130.9

2017
Less than
1 year
$m

(3.7)
0.8

(2.9)

(49.4)

(49.4) 

1.8

2017
1–3
 years
 $m

4.4
–

4.4

(28.4)

(28.4) 

0.8

2017
Total
$m

0.7
0.8

1.5

(77.8)

(77.8)

2.6

–

(2.7)

(53.1)

(25.8)

(78.9)

Derivatives’ maturity and the timing of their recycling into income or expense coincide.

The following provides an analysis of the Group’s financial instruments measured at fair value, grouped into Levels 1 to 3 based 
on the degree to which the fair value is observable:

Level 1: fair value measurements are those derived from quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets 
or liabilities;

Level 2: fair value measurements are those derived from inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 which are 
observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly; and

Level 3: fair value measurements are those derived from valuation techniques which include inputs for the asset or liability that 
are not based on observable market data.

All the Group’s derivatives are Level 2 (2017: Level 2). There were no transfers between fair value levels during the year.

For financial instruments which are recognised on a recurring basis, the Group determines whether transfers have occurred 
between levels by re-assessing categorisation (based on the lowest-level input which is significant to the fair value measurement 
as a whole) at the end of each reporting period.

140

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018Note 20. Financial instruments continued
Offset of financial assets and financial liabilities
Deferred premiums on derivatives are settled at maturity of the derivative contracts, with the cash flows settled on a net basis. 
Netting agreements are also in place to enable the Group and its counterparties to set off liabilities against available assets in 
the event that either party is unable to fulfil its contractual obligations. The following tables provide the offsetting relationship 
within assets and liabilities in the balance sheet.

31 December 2018

Derivative assets
Derivative liabilities
Deferred premiums

31 December 2017

Derivative assets
Derivative liabilities
Deferred premiums

Gross 
amounts 
offset
 in Group 
balance 
sheet 
$m

(78.6)
(9.9)
88.5

Gross 
amounts 
offset
 in Group 
balance 
sheet 
$m

(3.0)
(74.8)
77.8

Net amounts
 presented
 in Group 
balance
 sheet
$m

130.9
(2.7)
–

Net amounts
 presented
 in Group 
balance
 sheet
$m

2.6
(78.9)
–

Gross 
amounts
 recognised 
$m

209.6
7.0
(88.5)

Gross 
amounts
 recognised 
$m 

5.6
(4.1)
(77.8)

Commodity price risk
The Group uses a number of derivatives to mitigate the commodity price risk associated with its underlying oil revenue. Such 
commodity derivatives tend to be priced using benchmarks, such as Dated Brent, which correlate as far as possible to the 
underlying oil revenue. There is an economic relationship between the hedged items and the hedging instruments as the terms 
of the derivative contracts are closely aligned to the terms of the expected highly probable forecast transactions. The Group has 
established a hedge ratio of 1:1 for the hedging relationships as the underlying risk of the commodity derivatives are identical to 
the hedged risk components. To test the hedge effectiveness, the Group uses the hypothetical derivative method and compares 
the changes in the fair value of the hedging instruments against the changes in fair value of the hedged items attributable to the 
hedged risks. The Group hedges its estimated oil revenues on a portfolio basis, aggregating its oil revenues from substantially 
all of its African oil interests.

As at 31 December 2018 and 31 December 2017, all of the Group’s oil derivatives have been designated as cash flow hedges. 
The Group’s oil hedges have been assessed to be highly effective. There is, however, the potential for a degree of ineffectiveness 
inherent in the Group’s oil hedges arising from, among other factors, the differential on the Group’s underlying African crude 
relative to Dated Brent and the timing of oil liftings relative to the hedges. The ineffectiveness recognised in the group income 
statement was a gain of $2.4 million (2017: $1.4 million gain).

The following table demonstrates the timing, volumes and average floor price protected for the Group’s commodity hedges:

Hedging position as at 31 December 2018

Oil volume (bopd)
Average floor price protected ($/bbl)

Hedging position as at 31 December 2017

Oil volume (bopd)
Average floor price protected ($/bbl)

2019

2020

2021

55,732
56.25

24,997
59.31

2018

2019

45,000
52.23

22,232
48.87

–
–

2020

997
50.00

The following table demonstrates the sensitivity of the Group’s derivative financial instruments to reasonably possible 
movements in Dated Brent oil prices:

Brent oil price
Brent oil price

Effect on equity

Market
 movement

25%
(25%)

2018
$m

14.2
486.9

2017
$m

(139.0)
115.5

The following assumptions have been used in calculating the sensitivity in movement of oil price: the pricing adjustments relate 
only to the point forward mark-to-market (MTM) valuations, the price sensitivities assume there is no ineffectiveness related to 
the oil hedges and the sensitivities have been run only on the intrinsic element of the hedge as management considers this to 
be the material component of oil hedge valuations.

www.tullowoil.com

141

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNote 20. Financial instruments continued
Hedge reserve summary
The hedge reserve represents the portion of deferred gains and losses on hedging instruments deemed to be effective cash flow 
hedges. The movement in the reserve for the period is recognised in other comprehensive income.

The following table summarises the hedge reserve by type of derivative, net of tax effects:

Hedge reserve by derivative type

Cash flow hedges
Oil derivatives
Interest rate derivatives

Hedge reserve – time value

Cash flow hedges
Oil derivatives

2018
$m

130.8
–

130.8

2018
$m

4.9

4.9

2017
Restated
$m

(3.5)
0.9

(2.6)

2017
Restated
$m

(73.8)

(73.8)

The deferred gains and losses in the hedge reserve are subsequently transferred to the income statement during the period in 
which the hedged transaction affects the income statement. The tables below show the impact on the hedge reserve and on 
sales revenue during the year:

Deferred amounts in the hedge reserve

At 1 January

Reclassification adjustments for items included in the income statement on realisation:
Gas derivatives – transferred to sales revenue 
Oil derivatives – transferred to sales revenue
Interest rate derivatives – transferred to finance costs

Subtotal
Revaluation gains arising in the year
Movement in current and deferred tax

At 31 December 

Deferred amounts in the hedge reserve – time value

At 1 January

Reclassification adjustments for items included in the income statement on realisation:
Oil derivatives – transferred to sales revenue

Revaluation gains/(losses) arising in the year

At 31 December 

Reconciliation to sales revenue

Gas derivatives – transferred to sales revenue
Oil derivatives – transferred to sales revenue
Deferred premium paid

Net losses/(gains) from commodity derivatives in sales revenue (note 2)

142

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

2018
$m

(2.6)

–
34.4
(1.7)

32.7
100.7
–

133.4

130.8

2018
$m

2017
Restated
$m

128.2

0.2
(161.1)
(0.9)

(161.8)
6.7
24.3

(130.8)

(2.6)

2017
Restated
$m

(73.8)

(60.6)

52.7

16.2

(4.9)

2018
$m

–
34.4
52.4

86.8

51.5

(64.7)

(73.8)

2017
$m

0.2
(159.8)
49.6

(110.0)

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018Note 20. Financial instruments continued
Cash flow and interest rate risk 
Subject to parameters set by management, the Group seeks to minimise interest costs by using a mixture of fixed and floating 
debt. Floating rate debt comprises bank borrowings at interest rates fixed in advance from overnight to three months at rates 
determined by US dollar LIBOR. Fixed rate debt comprises Senior Notes and convertible bonds, bank borrowings at interest 
rates fixed in advance for periods greater than three months or bank borrowings where the interest rate has been fixed through 
interest rate hedging. Following maturity of the Group’s interest rate hedges in November 2018, the mark-to-market position of 
the Group’s interest rate hedge portfolio as at 31 December 2018 is nil (2017: $0.8 million asset).

The interest rate profile of the Group’s financial assets and liabilities, excluding trade and other receivables and trade and other 
payables, at 31 December 2018 and 2017, was as follows:

US$
Euro
Sterling
Other

2018 
Cash at bank
$m

2018
Fixed rate
 debt
$m

2018
Floating rate 
debt
$m

2018
Total
$m

2017
Cash at bank
$m

149.7
0.4
10.9
18.8

(1,750.0)
–
–
–

(1,490.0)
–
–
–

(3,090.3)
 0.4 
 10.9 
 18.8 

179.8

(1,750.0)

(1,490.0)

(3,060.2)

219.4
3.1
21.4
40.1

284.0

2017
Fixed rate
 debt
$m

2017
Floating rate 
debt
$m

(1,900.0)
–
–
–

(1,855.0)
–
–
–

2017
Total
$m

(3,535.6)
3.1
21.4
40.1

(1,900.0)

(1,855.0)

(3,471.0)

Cash at bank consisted mainly of deposits which earn interest at rates set in advance for periods ranging from overnight to one 
month by reference to market rates.

The following table demonstrates the sensitivity of the Group’s financial instruments to reasonably possible movements in 
interest rates:

Interest rate
Interest rate

Market movement

100 basis points
(25) basis points

Effect on finance costs

Effect on equity

2018
$m

(14.9)
3.7

2017
$m 

(21.6)
5.4

2018
$m

(14.9)
3.7

2017
$m

(18.3)
5.8

Credit risk
The Group has a credit policy that governs the management of credit risk, including the establishment of counterparty credit 
limits and specific transaction approvals. The primary credit exposures for the Group are its receivables generated by the 
marketing of crude oil and amounts due from JV Partners (including in relation to their share of the TEN FPSO finance lease). 
These exposures are managed at the corporate level. The Group’s crude sales are predominantly made to international oil 
market participants including the oil majors, trading houses and refineries. JV Partners are predominantly international major 
oil and gas market participants. Counterparty evaluations are conducted utilising international credit rating agency and financial 
assessments. Where considered appropriate, security in the form of trade finance instruments from financial institutions with 
an appropriate credit rating, such as letters of credit, guarantees and credit insurance, are obtained to mitigate the risks. 

The Group generally enters into derivative agreements with banks which are Lenders under the Reserves Based Lending facility. 
Security is provided under the facility agreement which mitigates non-performance risk. The Group does not have any significant 
credit risk exposure to any single counterparty or any group of counterparties. The maximum financial exposure due to credit 
risk on the Group’s financial assets, representing the sum of cash and cash equivalents, investments, derivative assets, trade 
receivables, current tax assets and other current assets, as at 31 December 2018 was $1,569.6 million (2017: $2,217.7 million).

Foreign currency risk 
The Group conducts and manages its business predominantly in US dollars, the operating currency of the industry in which it 
operates. The Group also purchases the operating currencies of the countries in which it operates routinely on the spot market. 
From time to time the Group undertakes certain transactions denominated in other currencies. These exposures are often 
managed by executing foreign currency financial derivatives. There were no material foreign currency financial derivatives in 
place as at 31 December 2018 (2017: nil). Cash balances are held in other currencies to meet immediate operating and 
administrative expenses or to comply with local currency regulations. 

www.tullowoil.com

143

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNote 20. Financial instruments continued
Foreign currency risk continued
As at 31 December 2018, the only material monetary assets or liabilities of the Group that were not denominated in the 
functional currency of the respective subsidiaries involved were $29.1 million in non-US-dollar denominated cash and cash 
equivalents (2017: $45.1 million).

The following table demonstrates the sensitivity of the Group’s financial instruments to reasonably possible movements in 
US dollar exchange rates:

US$/foreign currency exchange rates
US$/foreign currency exchange rates

Effect on profit before tax

Effect on equity

Market movement

20%
(20%)

2018
$m

(4.8)
7.3

2017
$m 

(7.5)
11.3

2018
$m

(4.8)
7.3

2017
$m

(7.5)
11.3

Liquidity risk 
The Group manages its liquidity risk using both short- and long-term cash flow projections, supplemented by debt financing 
plans and active portfolio management. Ultimate responsibility for liquidity risk management rests with the Board of Directors, 
which has established an appropriate liquidity risk management framework covering the Group’s short-, medium- and long-term 
funding and liquidity management requirements.

The Group closely monitors and manages its liquidity risk. Cash forecasts are regularly produced and sensitivities run for 
different scenarios including, but not limited to, changes in commodity prices, different production rates from the Group’s 
producing assets and delays to development projects. In addition to the Group’s operating cash flows, portfolio management 
opportunities are reviewed to potentially enhance the financial capability and flexibility of the Group. The Group had $1.0 billion 
(2017: $1.1 billion) of total facility headroom and free cash as at 31 December 2018. 

The following tables detail the Group’s remaining contractual maturity for its non-derivative financial liabilities with agreed 
repayment periods. The tables have been drawn up based on the undiscounted cash flows of financial liabilities based on the 
earliest date on which the Group can be required to pay.

31 December 2018
Non-interest bearing
Finance lease liabilities
Fixed interest rate instruments
  Principal repayments

Interest charge

Variable interest rate instruments
  Principal repayments

Interest charge

31 December 2017
Non-interest bearing
Finance lease liabilities
Fixed interest rate instruments
  Principal repayments

Interest charge

Variable interest rate instruments
  Principal repayments

Interest charge

Weighted 
average 
effective 
interest rate

Less than 
1 month
$m

1–3
months
$m

3 months 
to 1 year
$m

n/a
7.1%
7.8%

5.5%

 96.2 
18.3

 136.9 
41.6

 2.2 
162.6

–
9.9

–
7.8

–
28.0

–
15.5

–
78.6

–
69.9

1–5
years
$m

 – 
861.3

950.0
385.4

568.0
357.8

5+
years
$m

Total
$m

 91.3 
714.9

326.6
1,798.7

800.0
84.0

922.0
40.0

1,750.0
585.9

1,490.0
491.0

 132.1 

 222.0 

 313.3 

 3,122.5 

 2,652.2 

6,442.2

Weighted
average 
effective
interest rate

Less than 
1 month
$m

1–3
months
$m

3 months 
to 1 year
$m

n/a
7.1%
7.5%

7.2%

50.9
18.3

–
9.9

–
10.4

89.5

194.6
39.3

–
–

–
20.9

245.8

–
172.1

–
89.6

–
85.9

1–5
years
$m

–
866.1

1,600.0
279.8

5+
years
$m

105.1
930.2

–
–

811.0
420.4

1,344.0
95.9

Total
$m

350.6
2,026.0

1,600.0
379.3

2,155.0
633.5

347.6

3,977.3

2,475.2

7,144.4

In November 2018, a portfolio of interest rate swaps that fixed $300.0 million of variable interest rate risk matured. The impact 
of these derivatives on the classification of fixed and variable rate instruments has been excluded from the above tables.

144

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018 
 
 
 
Note 21. Obligations under finance leases

Amounts payable under finance leases:
– Within one year
– Within two to five years
– After five years

Less future finance charges

Present value of lease obligations

Amount due for settlement within 12 months

Amount due for settlement after 12 months

Notes

2018
$m

 222.5 
 861.3 
 714.9 

2017
$m

229.6
866.1
930.3

 1,798.7 
(386.5)

2,026.0
(480.4)

 1,412.2 

1,545.6

 221.2 

228.1

 1,191.0 

1,317.5

18

18

The Group’s finance leases are the TEN FPSO and the Espoir FPSO (2017: TEN FPSO and Espoir FPSO). The finance lease for the 
TEN FPSO met the criteria for recognition on 1 August 2017. The present value of the lease liabilities unwinds over the expected 
life of the lease and is reported within finance costs as interest on obligations under finance leases. The present value of the 
TEN FPSO lease obligations at 31 December 2018 was $1,389.6 million (2017: $1,521.0 million). A receivable from Joint Venture 
Partners of $656.9 million (2017: $719.0 million) was recognised in other assets to reflect the value of future payments that will 
be met by cash calls from partners. The present value of the receivable from Joint Venture Partners unwinds over the expected 
life of the lease and is reported within finance revenue. The net cash outflows of $117.4 million (2017: $62.6 million) related to 
the lease agreement since its recognition as a finance lease have been reported in the repayment of obligations under finance 
leases line in the cash flow statements. Prior to recognition as a finance lease, it was accounted for as an operating lease, and 
included as operating lease payments within cost of sales (note 4).

The fair value of the Group’s lease obligations approximates the carrying amount. The average expected remaining lease term 
as at 31 December 2018 was six years (2017: seven years). For the year ended 31 December 2018, the effective borrowing rate 
was 7.1 per cent (2017: 7.1 per cent).

Note 22. Provisions

Decommissioning
2018
$m

Notes

Other 
provisions
2018
$m

Total
2018
$m

Decommissioning
2017
$m

Other 
provisions
2017
$m

At 1 January
New provisions and changes in estimates 
Disposals
Payments
Unwinding of discount 
Currency translation adjustment

5

At 31 December

Current provisions

Non-current provisions

 897.4 
(5.8)
 – 
(99.1)
 14.4 
(12.9)

 794.0 

 121.6 

 672.4 

 135.0 
 155.1 
 – 
(208.6)
 – 
 – 

 81.5 

 76.9 

 4.6 

 1,032.4 
 149.3 
 – 
(307.7)
 14.4 
(12.9)

 875.5 

 198.5 

 677.0 

1,014.4
(33.6)
(100.7)
(33.7)
19.7
31.3

897.4

103.2

794.2

144.2
(9.2)
–
–
–
–

135.0

127.6

7.4

Total
2017
$m

1,158.6
(42.8)
(100.7)
(33.7)
19.7
31.3

1,032.4

230.8

801.6

Included within other provisions is provision for onerous service contracts and provision for restructuring costs. Following a trial 
in the English Commercial Court in May 2018, the court ruled on 3 July that Tullow was not entitled to terminate its West Leo rig 
contract with Seadrill on 4 December 2016 by invoking the contract’s force majeure provisions. Following advice from counsel, 
Tullow will not be appealing this ruling. Tullow has now paid Seadrill a contractual termination fee, other standby fees that 
accrued in the 60 days prior to termination of the contract and interest amounting to $248 million in aggregate and a further 
$11 million of Ghana withholding tax. Although Tullow regards these as Joint Venture costs, Kosmos disputed separately, 
through an International Chamber of Commerce arbitration against Tullow, its share of the liability (c. 20 per cent) of any costs 
related to the use of the West Leo rig beyond 1 October 2016. On 17 July 2018, the arbitration tribunal delivered a final and 
binding award in favour of Kosmos which determined that Kosmos is not liable for its share of the Seadrill costs. The arbitration 
award also provided that Tullow reimburses Kosmos $8.4 million for rig demobilisation costs and certain of its legal costs. 
In relation to this matter, and several smaller provisions, the Group recorded an additional pre-tax income statement charge 
of $167.4 million (2017: credit of $1.0 million). 

www.tullowoil.com

145

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 
Note 22. Provisions continued
The decommissioning provision represents the present value of decommissioning costs relating to the European and African oil 
and gas interests. 

Inflation
 assumption

Discount rate 
assumption

Cessation of 
production 
assumption

2%
2%
2%
2%
n/a
n/a

3%
2026
3% 2028–2029
3% 2021–2034
3% 2035–2036
2018
3%
2018
3%

2018
$m

47.1
100.8
50.1
292.1
94.8
209.1

794.0

2017
$m

49.7
133.9
55.8
278.0
120.7
259.3

897.4

Accelerated 
tax 
depreciation
$m

Decommissioning
$m

Revaluation 
of financial 
assets
$m

Tax losses
$m

Other timing
 differences
$m

Provision for 
onerous 
service
 contracts
$m

Deferred
PRT
$m

Total
$m

Côte d’Ivoire 
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Ghana
Mauritania
UK

Note 23. Deferred taxation

At 1 January 2017
Credit/(debit) to income 
statement
Debit to other 
comprehensive income
Exchange differences

At 1 January 2018
Credit/(debit) to income 
statement
Exchange differences

At 31 December 2018

(1,101.2)

Deferred tax liabilities
Deferred tax assets

(1,217.3)

 110.8 

79.8

–
(0.8)

59.8

–
10.0

(1,138.3)

180.6

 37.3 
(0.2)

(47.7)
(5.2)

 127.7 

0.5

–

(0.6)
–

(0.1)

 0.1 
– 

 – 

 535.3 

 (14.8) 

 44.7 

 7.3 

(533.5)

(8.1)

–
2.8

(8.2)

–
(1.1)

–

–
–

21.5

144.8

–
1.7

(0.6)
12.6

530.0

(24.1)

44.7

30.5

(376.7)

(0.8)
(1.7)

(1.0)
 0.2 

 527.5 

(24.9)

(10.5)
(0.8)

 33.4 

(18.1)
(0.8)

 11.6 

2018
$m

(40.7)
(8.5)

(425.9)

2017
$m

(1,075.3)
 649.4 

(1,101.2)
724.5

(425.9)

(376.7)

No deferred tax has been provided on unremitted earnings of overseas subsidiaries, as the Group has no plans to remit these 
to the UK in the foreseeable future. Deferred tax assets are recognised only to the extent it is considered probable that those 
assets will be recoverable. This involves an assessment of when those deferred tax assets are likely to reverse, and a judgement 
as to whether or not there will be sufficient taxable profits available to offset the tax assets when they do reverse. This requires 
assumptions regarding future profitability and is therefore inherently uncertain. To the extent assumptions regarding future 
profitability change, there can be an increase or decrease in the level of deferred tax assets recognised which can result in a 
charge or credit in the period in which the change occurs.

146

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018Note 24. Called-up equity share capital and share premium account
Allotted equity share capital and share premium

Ordinary shares of 10p each
At 1 January 2017
Issued during the year 
  Rights Issue
  Exercise of share options

At 1 January 2018
Issued during the year 
  Exercise of share options

At 31 December 2018

Equity share capital 
allotted and fully paid

Share 
premium

Number

$m

$m

914,481,960

147.5

619.3

466,925,724
5,159,652

60.0
0.7

693.8
13.7

1,386,567,336

208.2

1,326.8

6,872,380

 0.9   

17.4

1,393,439,716

209.1

1,344.2

The Company does not have a maximum authorised share capital.

Note 25. Non-controlling interest
During July 2018 Tullow acquired the remaining 50 per cent interest in Tulipe Gabon S.A. ‘Tulipe’, which holds the Oba licence, for 
$11.3 million. This resulted in a reduction of the Group’s reported non-controlling interest balance to $nil at 31 December 2018.

Distributions to non-controlling interests were $nil (2017: $3.0 million).

Note 26. Share-based payments 
Analysis of share-based payment charge

Tullow Incentive Plan
2005 Performance Share Plan 
2005 Deferred Share Bonus Plan
Employee Share Award Plan
2010 Share Option Plan and 2000 Executive Share Option Scheme
UK and Irish Share Incentive

Total share-based payment charge

Capitalised to intangible and tangible assets
Expensed to operating costs
Expensed as exploration costs written off
Expensed as administrative cost

Total share-based payment charge

Notes

4

4

2018 
$m

11.8
–
–
14.3
0.1
–

 26.2 

 1.3 
 1.0 
 1.1 
 22.8 

 26.2 

2017
$m

11.1
0.4
1.7
20.4
–
0.6

34.2

0.3
1.1
–
32.8

34.2

Tullow Incentive Plan (TIP)
Under the TIP, Senior Management can be granted nil exercise price options, normally exercisable from three years (five years 
in the case of the Company’s Directors) to ten years following grant provided an individual remains in employment. The size of 
awards depends on both annual performance measures and Total Shareholder Return (TSR) over a period of up to three years. 
There are no post-grant performance conditions. No dividends are paid over the vesting period; however, it has been agreed for 
the 2018 TIP awards that an amount equivalent to the dividends that would have been paid on the TIP shares during the vesting 
period if they were ‘real’ shares, will also be payable on exercise of the award. There are further details of the TIP in the 
Remuneration Report on pages 83 to 101.

The weighted average remaining contractual life for TIP awards outstanding at 31 December 2018 was 6.9 years.

2005 Performance Share Plan (PSP)
Under the PSP, Senior Management could be granted nil exercise price options, normally exercisable between three and ten 
years following grant. Awards made before 8 March 2010 were made as conditional awards to acquire free shares on vesting. 
To provide flexibility to participants, those awards were converted into nil exercise price options. All PSP awards are fully vested.

The weighted average remaining contractual life for PSP awards outstanding at 31 December 2018 was 0.4 years.

www.tullowoil.com

147

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNote 26. Share-based payments continued 
2005 Deferred Share Bonus Plan (DSBP)
Under the DSBP, the portion of any annual bonus above 75 per cent of the base salary of a Senior Executive nominated by 
the Remuneration Committee was deferred into shares. Awards normally vest following the end of three financial years 
commencing with that in which they were granted. They were granted as nil exercise price options, normally exercisable from 
when they vest until ten years from grant. Awards granted before 8 March 2010 as conditional awards to acquire free shares 
were converted into nil exercise price options to provide flexibility to participants. A dividend equivalent is paid over the period 
from grant to vesting. From 2014, Senior Executives participate in the TIP instead of the DSBP.

The weighted average remaining contractual life for DSBP awards outstanding at 31 December 2018 was 2.6 years.

Employee Share Award Plan (ESAP)
Most Group employees are eligible to be granted nil exercise price options under the ESAP. These are normally exercisable from 
three to ten years following grant. An individual must normally remain in employment for three years from grant for the share 
to vest. Awards are not subject to post-grant performance conditions. No dividends are paid over the vesting period; however, 
it has been agreed for the 2018 ESAP awards that an amount equivalent to the dividends that would have been paid on the ESAP 
shares during the vesting period if they were ‘real’ shares, will also be payable on exercise of the award. 

Phantom options that provide a cash bonus equivalent to the gain that could be made from a share option (being granted over a 
notional number of shares) have also been granted under the ESAP in situations where the grant of share options was not practicable.

The weighted average remaining contractual life for ESAP awards outstanding at 31 December 2018 was 7.3 years.

2010 Share Option Plan (2010 SOP) and 2000 Executive Share Option Scheme (2000 ESOS)
Participation in the 2010 SOP and 2000 ESOS was available to most of the Group’s employees. Options have an exercise price 
equal to market value shortly before grant and are normally exercisable between three and ten years from the date of the grant 
subject to continuing employment.

Options granted prior to 2011 were granted under the 2000 ESOS where exercise was subject to a performance condition. 
Performance was measured against constituents of the FTSE 100 index (excluding investment trusts). 100 per cent of awards 
vested if the Company’s TSR was above the median of the index companies over three years from grant. The 2010 SOP was 
replaced by the ESAP for grants from 2014. During 2013 phantom options were granted under the 2010 SOP to replace certain 
options granted under the 2000 ESOS that lapsed as a result of performance conditions not being satisfied. These replacement 
phantom options provide a cash bonus equivalent to the gain that could be made from a share option (being granted over a 
notional number of shares with a notional exercise price). Phantom options have also been granted under the 2010 SOP and 
the 2000 ESOS in situations where the grant of share options was not practicable.

Options outstanding at 31 December 2018 had exercise prices of 601p to 1,294p (2017: 468p to 1,305p) and remaining 
contractual lives between 5 days and 4.6 years. The weighted average remaining contractual life is 2.8 years

UK and Irish Share Incentive Plans (SIPs)
These are all-employee plans set up in the UK and Ireland, to enable employees to save out of salary up to prescribed monthly 
limits. Contributions are used by the SIP trustees to buy Tullow shares (‘Partnership Shares’) at the end of each three-month 
accumulation period. The Company makes a matching contribution to acquire Tullow shares (‘Matching Shares’) on a one-for-one 
basis. Under the UK SIP, Matching Shares are subject to time-based forfeiture over three years on leaving employment in 
certain circumstances or if the related Partnership Shares are sold. The fair value of a Matching Share is its market value 
when it is awarded.

Under the UK SIP: (i) Partnership Shares are purchased at the lower of their market values at the start of the accumulation 
period and the purchase date (which is treated as a three-month share option for IFRS 2 purposes and therefore results in an 
accounting charge), and (ii) Matching Shares vest over the three years after being awarded (resulting in their accounting charge 
being spread over that period). 

Under the Irish SIP: (i) Partnership Shares are bought at the market value at the purchase date (which does not result in any 
accounting charge), and (ii) Matching Shares vest over the two years after being awarded (resulting in their accounting charge 
being spread over that period).

148

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018Note 26. Share-based payments continued
UK and Irish Share Incentive Plans (SIPs) continued
The following table illustrates the number and average weighted share price at grant or weighted average exercise price (WAEP) 
of, and movements in, share options under the TIP, PSP, DSBP, ESAP and 2010 SOP/2000 ESOS.

2018 TIP – 
2018 TIP –

2017 TIP – 
2017 TIP –

2018 PSP –
2018 PSP – 

2017 PSP –
2017 PSP – 

2018 DSBP – 
2018 DSBP – 

2017 DSBP – 
2017 DSBP – 

2018 ESAP – 
2018 ESAP – 

2017 ESAP – 
2017 ESAP – 

number of shares 
average weighted  
share price at grant

number of shares 
average weighted  
share price at grant

number of shares 
average weighted  
share price at grant

number of shares 
average weighted  
share price at grant

number of shares 
average weighted  
share price at grant

number of shares 
average weighted  
share price at grant

number of shares 
average weighted  
share price at grant

number of shares 
average weighted  
share price at grant

Outstanding
 as at
1 January

16,753,447

249.2

Adjustment 
for the 
Rights Issue 
during 
the year

–

–

Granted 
during the 
year

Exercised 
during 
the year

Forfeited/
expired during 
the year

Outstanding 
at 
31 December

Exercisable 
at 
31 December

5,453,170 (1,539,418)

(371,397) 20,295,802

1,616,059

181.1

524.3

356.4

208.1

530.1

10,926,267

1,831,317

4,830,968

(484,603)

(350,502) 16,753,447

925,639

287.1

275.6

206.6

782.0

242.8

249.2

782.0

571,911

868.9

–

–

910,004

120,362

882.0

870.9

224,102

1,260.5

–

–

205,704

35,627

1,215.5

1,215.5

26,689,114

252.2

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(163,306)

870.8

–

–

408,605

408,605

868.2

868.2

(495,163)

36,708

571,911

571,911

888.2

797.6

868.9

868.9

–

–

–

–

224,102

224,102

1,260.5

1,260.5

(140,508)

123,279

224,102

224,102

1,209.4

1,121.4

1,260.5

1,260.5

5,907,717 (4,848,390)

(1,235,130) 26,513,311

7,027,121

181.1

348.9

192.0

221.5

362.3

23,760,819

3,856,502

5,346,309 (4,459,032)

(1,815,484) 26,689,114

7,623,417

280.8

271.2

206.6

382.1

213.3

252.2

346.8

2018 SOP/ESOS – number of shares
2018 SOP/ESOS – WAEP

9,876,367
1,047.6

–
–

2017 SOP/ESOS – number of shares
2017 SOP/ESOS – WAEP

10,006,370
1,192.9

1,596,194
1,041.2

2018 phantoms –  number of 

phantom shares

2018 phantoms –  WAEP

2017 phantoms –  number of 

phantom shares

2017 phantoms –  WAEP

1,429,868
1,086.5

–
–

1,252,745
1,274.4

215,079
1,086.5

–
–

–
–

–
–

–
–

– (1,753,995) 8,122,372
1,079.1
–

901.9

8,122,372
1,079.1

– (1,726,197) 9,876,367
1,047.6
–

863.8

9,876,367
1,047.6

–
–

–
–

(149,638) 1,280,230
1,086.7

1,085.0

1,280,230
1,086.7

(37,956) 1,429,868
1,086.5
1,084.7

1,429,868
1,086.5

In March 2017 the Company carried out a Rights Issue with each holder of 49 shares receiving 25 rights to subscribe for new 
shares at a price of 130p per share. In accordance with the Plan rules, the number of outstanding awards as at 17 March 2017 
was multiplied by 1.1732 and the option exercise prices and previously calculated fair values for these awards were divided by 
1.1732 to allow for the rights issue.

The options granted during the year were valued using a proprietary binomial valuation.

www.tullowoil.com

149

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNote 26. Share-based payments continued
UK and Irish Share Incentive Plans (SIPs) continued
The following table details the weighted average fair value of awards granted and the assumptions used in the fair value 
expense calculations.

Weighted average fair value of awards granted

Weighted average share price at exercise for awards exercised

Principal inputs to options valuations model:
Weighted average share price at grant
Weighted average exercise price
Risk-free interest rate per annum1
Expected volatility per annum1, 2
Expected award life (years)1, 3
Dividend yield per annum 4
Employee turnover before vesting per annum1

2018 TIP

2018 ESAP

2017 TIP

2017 ESAP

181.1p

181.1p

213.0p

212.9p

181.1p
0.0p
0.9%/1.2%
62%/52%
3.0/5.0
 n/a
5%/0%

181.1p
0.0p
0.9%
62%
3.0
 n/a
5%

206.6p

210.0p

206.6p
0.0p
0.1%
60%
3.0
n/a
5%/0%

206.6p

195.5p

206.6p
0.0p
0.1%
60%
3.0
0.0%
5%

1.  Shows the assumption for TIP awards made to Senior Management/Executives and Directors respectively.

2.  Expected volatility was determined by calculating the historical volatility of the Company’s share price over a period commensurate with the expected life of the awards.

3.  The expected life is the average expected period from date of grant to exercise allowing for the Company’s best estimate of participants’ expected exercise behaviour.

4.  No dividend yield assumption is needed for the fair value calculations for the 2018 TIP and 2018 ESAP awards as a dividend equivalent will be payable on the 

exercise of these awards.

Weighted average share price  
at exercise for awards exercised

Note 27. Commitments and contingencies

Capital commitments
Operating lease commitments
Due within one year
After one year but within two years
After two years but within five years
Due after five years

Contingent liabilities
Performance guarantees
Other contingent liabilities

2018
PSP

2017 
PSP

2018
DSBP

2017
DSBP

2018
SOP/ESOS

2017
SOP/ESOS

234.8p

198.9p 

204.1

204.1p 

n/a

n/a

2018
$m

2017
$m

233.9

185.0

 34.6 
 26.2 
 32.3 
 27.3 

 120.2 

 60.8 
 66.0 

 126.8 

9.2
9.5
28.2
47.7

94.6

115.6
185.3

300.9

Where Tullow acts as operator of a Joint Venture the capital commitments reported represent Tullow’s net share of 
these commitments.

Where Tullow is non-operator the value of capital commitments is based on committed future work programmes. 

Operating lease payments represent rentals payable by the Group for certain of its office properties. Leases on office properties 
are negotiated for an average of six years and rentals are fixed for an average of six years. 

Performance guarantees are in respect of abandonment obligations, committed work programmes and certain 
financial obligations.

Other contingent liabilities include amounts for ongoing legal disputes with third parties where we consider the likelihood of 
a cash outflow to be higher than remote but not probable. The timing of any economic outflow if it were to occur would likely 
range between one year and five years. 

150

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018Note 28. Related party transactions
The Directors of Tullow Oil plc are considered to be the only key management personnel as defined by IAS 24 Related Party Disclosures. 

Short-term employee benefits
Post-employment benefits
Amounts awarded under long-term incentive schemes
Share-based payments

2018
$m

 5.7 
 0.5 
 3.0 
 2.2 

2017
$m

6.7
0.8
2.6
2.5

 11.4 

12.6

Short-term employee benefits
These amounts comprise fees paid to the Directors in respect of salary and benefits earned during the relevant financial year, 
plus bonuses awarded for the year.

Post-employment benefits
These amounts comprise amounts paid into the pension schemes of the Directors.

Amounts awarded under long-term incentive schemes
These amounts relate to the shares granted under the annual bonus scheme that are deferred for three years under the 
Deferred Share Bonus Plan (DSBP) and Tullow Incentive Plan (TIP).

Share-based payments
This is the cost to the Group of Directors’ participation in share-based payment plans, as measured by the fair value of options 
and shares granted, accounted for in accordance with IFRS 2 Share-based Payments.

There are no other related party transactions. Further details regarding transactions with the Directors of Tullow Oil plc are 
disclosed in the Remuneration Report on pages 83 to 101.

Note 29. Events since 31 December 2018
There has not been any event since 31 December 2018 that has resulted in a material impact on the year-end results. 

Note 30. New International Financial Reporting Standards adopted and yet to be adopted
IFRS 9 Financial Instruments
Income statement

(Loss)/gain on hedged instruments
Loss from continuing activities before tax
Loss for the year from continuing activities

Balance sheet

Hedge reserve – time value
Retained earnings
Total equity

Non-current liabilities
Borrowings
Net assets

Hedge reserve – time value
Retained earnings
Total equity

1  For definition of adjustment 1 and 2, refer to the accounting policies section.

Year ended  
31 December 2017

Transition adjustment on 
implementation of IFRS 91

Previously 
reported
$m

(11.8)
(299.1)
(188.5)

Adjusted
$m

1.4
(285.9)
(175.3)

(1)
$m

–
–
–

(2)
$m

13.2
13.2
13.2

31 December 
2016 
$m

–
778.0
2,242.5

1 January 
2017 
$m

(60.6)
838.6
2,242.5

31 December 
2017 
$m

1 January 
2018 
$m

(3,606.4)
2,716.4

–
607.5
2,716.4

(3,717.2)
2,605.6

(73.8)
570.5
2,605.6

Transition adjustment on 
implementation of IFRS 9 1

(1)
$m

–
–
–

(2)
$m

(60.6)
60.6
–

Transition adjustment on 
implementation of IFRS 91

(1)
$m

(110.8)
(110.8)

–
(110.8)
(110.8)

(2)
$m

–
–

(73.8)
73.8
–

www.tullowoil.com

151

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNote 30. New International Financial Reporting Standards adopted and yet to be adopted continued
IFRS 9 Financial Instruments continued
The classification and measurement of financial assets have changed with the implementation of IFRS 9. However, this has not 
materially changed the measurement of financial assets of the Group. The IFRS 9 impairment model requiring the recognition 
of ‘expected credit losses’, in contrast to the requirement to recognise ‘incurred credit losses’ under IAS 39, has not had a 
material impact on the Group’s Financial Statements. Trade receivables are generally settled on a short time frame and the 
Group’s other financial assets are due from counterparties without material credit risk concerns at the time of transition.

IFRS 16 Leases
IFRS 16 eliminates the current dual accounting model for lessees, which distinguishes between on-balance sheet finance 
leases and off-balance sheet operating leases. Instead, there is a single, on-balance sheet accounting model that is similar 
to current finance lease accounting. The adoption of IFRS 16 Leases, which the Group will adopt for the year commencing 
1 January 2019, will impact both the measurement and disclosures of leases over a low-value threshold, with terms longer 
than one year, but exclude any leases to explore for oil and gas (i.e. mineral rights). The Group has completed an assessment 
of lease agreements. On adoption of IFRS 16, the Group will recognise lease liabilities in relation to leases which are currently 
classified as ‘operating leases’ under the principles of IAS 17 Leases. These liabilities will be measured at the present value of 
the remaining lease payments, discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease (if available), or the Group’s incremental 
borrowing rate as of 1 January 2019, which was 6.9 per cent. The determination of whether there is an interest rate implicit 
in the rate, the calculation of the Group’s incremental borrowing rate, and whether any adjustments to this rate are required 
for certain portfolios of leases involve some judgement and are subject to change over time. Adjustments to the Group’s 
incremental borrowing rate for individual leases have not been made as the Group does not enter in to financing arrangements 
at the subsidiary level, leases are largely denominated in US Dollars, and the impact of any other adjustments have been 
calculated to be immaterial. A 1 per cent change in the Group’s incremental borrowing rate would increase/decrease the value 
of lease liabilities on transition by around $8 million. 

In accordance with the transition provisions in IFRS 16 the modified retrospective approach has been adopted, with the cumulative 
effect of initially applying the new standard recognised on 1 January 2019. Comparatives for the 2018 financial year will not be 
restated. The expected financial impact of transition to IFRS 16 has been summarised within this note.

In applying IFRS 16 for the first time, the Group has used the following practical expedients permitted by the standard on transition:

 - the use of a single discount rate to a portfolio of leases with reasonably similar characteristics;

 - the accounting for operating leases with a remaining lease term of less than 12 months as at 1 January 2019 as short-term 

leases; and

 - to not separate non-lease components from all leases with a right-of-use asset less than $2 million.

The Group has identified lease portfolios for property, oil and gas production and support equipment, transportation equipment, 
and other equipment.

Lease portfolio

Property leases
Oil and gas production and support equipment leases
Transportation equipment leases
Other equipment

Total 

Gross value 
on transition
 $m

77.4
345.2
31.7
0.1

454.4

Financial impact of the transition
Income statement
Property leases: These leases are currently included as administrative expenses. On transition to IFRS 16 the expense will 
decrease, offset by an increase in finance costs and depreciation of other fixed assets.

Oil and gas production and support equipment leases: These leases are currently either treated as operating costs or capitalised 
as property, plant and equipment or intangible assets. On transition to IFRS 16 operating costs will decrease, offset by an 
increase in finance costs and depletion and amortisation of oil and gas assets.

Transportation equipment leases: These leases are currently included as administrative expenses or operating costs. 
On transition to IFRS 16 these expenses will decrease, offset by an increase in finance costs, depreciation of other fixed 
assets and depletion and amortisation of oil and gas assets.

Other equipment: These leases are currently included as administrative expenses or operating costs. On transition to IFRS 16 
these expenses will decrease, offset by an increase in finance costs and depreciation of other fixed assets and depletion and 
amortisation of oil and gas assets.

152

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018Note 30. New International Financial Reporting Standards adopted and yet to be adopted continued
Financial impact of the transition continued
Balance sheet
The Group expects the impact of the transition to result in higher property, plant and equipment, current and non-current 
other assets and current and non-current lease liabilities. The amounts on transition stated below are in addition to contracts 
accounted for as finance leases at 31 December 2018 (refer to note 21). 

Property, plant and equipment

Non–current

Total IFRS 16 transition

Other assets

Current
Non–current

Total IFRS 16 transition

Lease liabilities

Current
Non–current

Total IFRS 16 transition

Value 
on transition 
$m

260.8

260.8

Value 
on transition 
$m

53.6
140.0

193.6

Value 
on transition 
$m

121.6
332.8

454.4

Currently, lease liabilities related to operated Joint Ventures are disclosed gross with the debit representing the partner’s share 
disclosed in amounts due from Joint Venture Partners. The assessment of whether a lease liability incurred by an operator 
should be recorded net or gross, in accordance with IFRS 16, IFRS 11 and IFRS 15, is currently under a review and comment 
letter process with IFRIC. Tullow will continue to monitor the outcome of this process in 2019.

Non-IFRS measures
Gearing and adjusted EBITDAX are expected to be impacted by the transition to IFRS 16. As discussed above, the reductions to 
operating costs and administrative expenses will increase adjusted EBITDAX. Increases in finance costs, depreciation of other 
fixed assets and depletion and amortisation of oil and gas assets will not decrease adjusted EBITDAX as they are items that are 
adjusted for in Tullow’s calculation. This expected increase to adjusted EBITDAX will decrease gearing. 

The changes are not expected to impact capital investment or net debt, as lease additions and lease liabilities, respectively, will 
be excluded from the calculation of these metrics. Similarly, adjustments will be made to present underlying cash operating 
costs excluding the impact of the change to leases, as this is how management will monitor operating costs. Detailed 
reconciliations showing the impact of leases will be disclosed in future periods.

The Group’s leasing activities and how these are accounted for:

 - Lease contracts are typically made for fixed periods of two to five years but may have extension options. Lease terms are 

negotiated on an individual basis and contain a wide range of different terms and conditions. The lease agreements do not 
impose any covenants, but leased assets may not be used as security for borrowing purposes.

 - Leases are recognised as a right-of-use asset, plus Joint Venture receivable (where applicable), and a corresponding liability 
at the date at which the leased asset is available for use by the Group. Each lease payment is allocated between the liability 
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. The right-of-use asset is depreciated over the shorter 
of the asset’s useful life and the lease term on a straight-line basis, and the Joint Venture receivable is allocated against 
the monthly Joint Venture billing cycle.

Assets and liabilities arising from a lease are initially measured on a present value basis. Lease liabilities include the net 
present value of the following lease payments:

 - fixed payments, less any lease incentives receivable (for example rent-free periods);

 - variable lease payments that are based on an index or rate; and

 - amounts expected to be payable by the lessee under residual value guarantees.

The lease payments are discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease, if that rate can be determined, or the Group’s 
incremental borrowing rate.

www.tullowoil.com

153

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNote 30. New International Financial Reporting Standards adopted and yet to be adopted continued
Financial impact of the transition continued
Non-IFRS measures continued
Right-of-use assets are measured at cost comprising the following:

 - the amount of the initial measurement of lease liability, less any amount receivable from Joint Venture Partners;

 - any lease payments made at or before the commencement date less any lease incentives received;

 - any initial direct costs, and

 - restoration or dilapidation costs.

Payments associated with short-term leases and leases of low-value assets are recognised on a straight-line basis as an expense 
in profit or loss. Short-term leases are leases with a lease term of 12 months or less. Low-value assets are leases with an 
annual cost of $5,000 or less. Over the course of a lease contract, there will be taxable timing differences that could give rise 
to deferred tax, subject to local tax laws and regulations.

2018
$m

230.4

(202.1)

(65.3)
37.0

2018
$m

268.1

(238.4)

(5.8)
(3.8)
(20.1)

2018
$m

2017
$m

Movement

 – 
3,219.1

 – 
 (3,606.4) 

– 
(387.3)

3,219.1 

 (3,606.4) 

(387.3)

(15.0)
(1,755.1)
1,240.0

110.8
8.2

Note 31. Cash flow statement reconciliations 

Purchases of intangible exploration and evaluation assets

Additions to intangible exploration and evaluation assets
Associated cash flows
Purchases of intangible exploration and evaluation assets
Non-cash movements/presented in other cash flow lines
Capitalised interest
Movement in working capital

Purchases of property, plant and equipment

Additions to property, plant and equipment
Associated cash flows
Purchases of property, plant and equipment
Non-cash movements/presented in other cash flow lines
Decommissioning asset revisions
Finance lease additions
Movement in working capital

Movement in borrowings

Current borrowings
Non-current borrowings

Total borrowings
Associated cash flows
Debt arrangement fees
Repayment of borrowings
Drawdown of borrowings
Non-cash movements/presented in other cash flow lines
IFRS 9 transition adjustment
Amortisation of arrangement fees and accrued interest

154

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNOTES TO THE GROUP FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUEDYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018Note 32. Dividends
The proposed final dividend for the year, which is subject to approval by shareholders at the Annual General Meeting, and has 
not been included as a liability in these financial statements is as follows:

Final dividend proposed in relation to the year
Ordinary

2018
$m

67.0

Tullow ordinary shareholders will receive the dividend in either sterling, cedi or euros and the amount they receive each half 
may vary as a result of changing foreign exchange rates. The exchange rate used to determine the cash dividends is the World 
Market Reuters rate on the day before the dividend announcement date. LSE holders will receive their dividend in sterling, GSE 
holders will receive their dividend in Ghanaian cedi and ISE holders will receive their dividend in Euros.

www.tullowoil.com

155

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNotes

2018
$m

2017
$m

1

5,567.1

5,415.3

5,567.1

5,415.3

3

4
5
6

5
6

7
7

1,164.6
5.6

2,136.3
6.3

1,170.2

2,142.6

6,737.3

7,557.9

(353.8)
–
(11.2)

(465.9)
–
(35.6)

(365.0)

(501.5)

(2,952.1)
(0.8)

(3,349.5)
(13.4)

(2,952.9)

(3,362.9)

(3,317.9)

(3,864.4)

3,419.4

3,693.5

209.1
1,344.2
866.1
1,000.0

208.2
1,326.8
851.9
1,306.6

3,419.4

3,693.5

COMPANY BALANCE SHEET
AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2018

ASSETS
Non-current assets
Investments

Current assets
Other current assets
Cash at bank

Total assets

LIABILITIES
Current liabilities
Trade and other creditors
Borrowings
Intercompany derivative liability

Non-current liabilities
Borrowings
Intercompany derivative liability

Total liabilities

Net assets

Capital and reserves
Called-up share capital
Share premium 
Other reserves
Retained earnings

Total equity

During the year the Company made a profit of $145.9 million (2017: $880.9 million loss).

Approved by the Board and authorised for issue on 12 February 2019. 

Paul McDade 
Chief Executive Officer 

Les Wood
Chief Financial Officer

156

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSCOMPANY STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018

At 1 January 2017
Loss for the year 
Issue of shares – Rights Issue
Issue of employee share options 
Vesting of employee share options
Capital contribution
Share-based payment charges 

At 1 January 2018
Adjustment on adoption of IFRS 9, net of tax
Profit for the year 
Issue of employee share options
Vesting of employee share options 
Transfers
Share-based payment charges 

Notes

8

Share
capital
$m 

 147.5 
–
60.0
0.7
–
–
–

 208.2 
–
–
0.9
–
–
–

Share 
premium 
$m

Other
 reserves 
$m

 619.3 
–
693.8
13.7
–
–
–

 1,326.8 
–
–
17.4
–
–
–

 850.8 
 – 
 – 
 – 
 – 
1.1
–

 851.9 
–
–
–
–
14.2
–

Retained 
earnings
$m 

 2,168.5 
(880.9)
–
–
(15.2)
–
34.2

 1,306.6 
(446.3)
145.9
–
(18.2)
(14.2)
26.2

Total
equity 
$m

 3,786.1 
(880.9)
753.8
14.4
(15.2)
1.1
34.2

 3,693.5 
(446.3)
145.9
18.3
(18.2)
–
26.2

At 31 December 2018

209.1

1,344.2

866.1

1,000.0

3,419.4

Other reserves include the merger reserve. The value associated with the treasury shares reserve, disclosed in the previous year, 
has been represented as part of retained earnings, consistent with share-based payment reserve movements. At 31 December 2018 
the Group did not hold any shares in a Tullow Oil Employee Trust to satisfy awards held under the Group’s share incentive plans.

During 2018, $14.2 million of PSP awards were transferred to retained earnings from other reserves.

www.tullowoil.com

157

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSCOMPANY ACCOUNTING POLICIES
AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2018

(a) General information
Tullow Oil plc is a company incorporated in the United 
Kingdom under the Companies Act. The address of the 
registered office is Tullow Oil plc, Building 9, Chiswick Park, 
566 Chiswick High Road, London W4 5XT. The Financial 
Statements are presented in US dollars and all values 
are rounded to the nearest $0.1 million, except where 
otherwise stated. Tullow Oil plc is the ultimate Parent 
of the Tullow Oil Group.

(b) Basis of accounting 
The Company meets the definition of a qualifying entity under 
Financial Reporting Standard 100 (FRS 100) issued by the 
Financial Reporting Council. The Financial Statements 
have therefore been prepared in accordance with Financial 
Reporting Standard 101 (FRS 101) Reduced Disclosure 
Framework as issued by the Financial Reporting Council. 

As permitted by FRS 101, the Company has taken advantage 
of the disclosure exemptions available under that standard 
in relation to share-based payments, financial instruments, 
capital management, presentation of comparative information 
in respect of certain assets, presentation of an income 
statement, presentation of a cash flow statement, standards 
not yet effective, impairment of assets and related party 
transactions. Where relevant, equivalent disclosures have 
been given in the Group accounts.

The Financial Statements have been prepared on the 
historical cost basis, except for derivative financial 
instruments that have been measured at fair value.

The Company has applied the exemption from the requirement 
to publish a separate profit and loss account for the Parent 
Company set out in section 408 of the Companies Act 2006.

During the year the Company made a profit of $145.9 million 
(2017: $880.9 million loss).

(c) Going concern
Refer to the Finance Review section of the Director’s Report. 

(d) Foreign currencies
The US dollar is the reporting currency of the Company. 
Transactions in foreign currencies are translated at the rates 
of exchange ruling at the transaction date. Monetary assets 
and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated 
into US dollars at the rates of exchange ruling at the balance 
sheet date, with a corresponding charge or credit to the income 
statement. However, exchange gains and losses arising on 
long-term foreign currency borrowings, which are a hedge 
against the Company’s overseas investments, are dealt with 
in reserves.

(e) Investments
Fixed asset investments, including investments in subsidiaries, 
are stated at cost and reviewed for impairment if there are 
indications that the carrying value may not be recoverable.

(f) Derivative financial instruments 
The Company uses derivative financial instruments to manage 
the Group’s exposure to fluctuations in movements in oil and 
gas prices.

Derivative financial instruments are stated at fair value.

158

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

The purpose for which a derivative is used is established 
at inception. To qualify for hedge accounting, the derivative 
must be highly effective in achieving its objective and this 
effectiveness must be documented at inception and throughout 
the period of the hedge relationship. The hedge must be 
assessed on an ongoing basis and determined to have been 
highly effective throughout the financial reporting periods for 
which the hedge was designated.

For the purpose of hedge accounting, hedges are classified 
as either fair value hedges, when they hedge the exposure to 
changes in the fair value of a recognised asset or liability, or 
cash flow hedges, where they hedge exposure to variability 
in cash flows that is either attributable to a particular 
risk associated with a recognised asset or liability or 
forecast transaction.

In relation to fair value hedges which meet the conditions 
for hedge accounting, any gain or loss from remeasuring 
the derivative and the hedged item at fair value is recognised 
immediately in the income statement. Any gain or loss on 
the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk is adjusted 
against the carrying amount of the hedged item and 
recognised in the income statement.

For cash flow hedges, the portion of the gains and losses on 
the hedging instrument that is determined to be an effective 
hedge is taken to other comprehensive income and the 
ineffective portion, as well as any change in time value, is 
recognised in the income statement. The gains and losses 
taken to other comprehensive income are subsequently 
transferred to the income statement during the period in 
which the hedged transaction affects the income statement. 
A similar treatment applies to foreign currency loans which 
are hedges of the Group’s net investment in the net assets 
of a foreign operation.

Gains or losses on derivatives that do not qualify for hedge 
accounting treatment (either from inception or during the life 
of the instrument) are taken directly to the income statement 
in the period.

(g) Financial liabilities and equity instruments
Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified 
according to the substance of the contractual arrangements 
entered into. An equity instrument is any contract that 
evidences a residual interest in the assets of the Group 
after deducting all of its liabilities.

(h) Share issue expenses 
Costs of share issues are written off against the premium 
arising on the issues of share capital.

(i) Finance costs of debt
Finance costs of debt are recognised in the profit and loss 
account over the term of the related debt at a constant rate 
on the carrying amount. 

Interest-bearing borrowings are recorded as 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 accruals 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 period in which they arise.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSfor determining whether or not there are indications that the 
investment in the related subsidiary may also be impaired, 
and thus whether an impairment test of the investment 
carrying value needs to be performed. The results of 
exploration activities are inherently uncertain and the 
assessment of impairment of E&E assets by the subsidiary, 
and that of the related investment by the Company, 
is judgemental.

For property, plant and equipment, the value of assets/fields 
supporting the investment value is assessed by estimating 
the discounted future cash flows based on management’s 
expectations of future oil and gas prices and future costs.

In order to discount the future cash flows the Group 
calculates CGU-specific discount rates. The discount rates 
are based on an assessment of a relevant peer group’s 
post-tax weighted average cost of capital (WACC). The 
post-tax WACC is subsequently grossed up to a pre-tax rate. 
The Group then deducts any exploration risk premium which 
is implicit within a peer group’s WACC.

Where there is evidence of economic interdependency 
between fields, such as common infrastructure, the fields 
are grouped as a single CGU for impairment purposes.

Amounts due from subsidiary undertakings (note 3):
 The Company is required to assess the carrying values 
of each of the amounts due from subsidiary undertakings, 
considering the requirements established by IFRS 9 
Financial Instruments. 

The IFRS 9 impairment model requiring the recognition 
of ‘expected credit losses’, in contrast to the requirement 
to recognise ‘incurred credit losses’ under IAS 39. Where 
conditions exist for impairment on amounts due from subsidiary 
undertakings expected credit losses assume that repayment 
of a loan is demanded at the reporting date. If the subsidiary 
has sufficient liquid assets to repay the loan if demanded at 
the reporting date, the expected credit loss is likely to be 
immaterial. However, if the subsidiary could not demonstrate 
the ability to repay the loan, if demanded at the reporting 
date, the Company calculated an expected credit loss. This 
calculation considers the percentage of loss of the amount 
due from subsidiary undertakings, which involves judgement 
around how amounts would likely be recovered, and over 
what time they would be recovered. Despite this requirement, 
the Company does not intend to demand repayment of any 
amounts due from subsidiary undertakings in the near future. 

Refer to note 8 for further details of the financial impact 
of the implementation of this requirement. 

(j) Taxation
Current and deferred tax, including UK corporation tax and 
overseas corporation tax, are provided at amounts expected 
to be paid using the tax rates and laws that have been enacted 
or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date. Deferred 
corporation tax is recognised on all temporary differences that 
have originated but not reversed at the balance sheet date 
where transactions or events that result in an obligation to 
pay more, or right to pay less, tax in the future have occurred 
at the balance sheet date. Deferred tax assets are recognised 
only to the extent that it is considered more likely than not 
that there will be suitable taxable profits from which the 
underlying temporary differences can be deducted. Deferred 
tax is measured on a non-discounted basis.

Deferred tax is provided on temporary differences arising on 
acquisitions that are categorised as business combinations. 
Deferred tax is recognised at acquisition as part of the assessment 
of the fair value of assets and liabilities acquired. Any deferred 
tax is charged or credited in the income statement as the 
underlying temporary difference is reversed. 

(k) Capital management
The Company defines capital as the total equity of the 
Company. Capital is managed in order to provide returns for 
shareholders and benefits to stakeholders and to safeguard 
the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Tullow 
is not subject to any externally imposed capital requirements. 
To maintain or adjust the capital structure, the Company may 
adjust the dividend payment to shareholders, return capital, 
issue new shares for cash, repay debt, and put in place new 
debt facilities. 

(l) Critical accounting judgements and key sources 
of estimation uncertainty
Financial instruments (note 6):
Some of the Company’s assets and liabilities are measured 
at fair value for financial reporting purposes. The Directors 
of the Company have determined appropriate valuation 
techniques and inputs for fair value measurements. 

In estimating the fair value of an asset or a liability, the 
Company uses market-observable data to the extent it is 
available. Where Level 1 inputs are not available, fair values 
are estimated by reference to market-based transactions, 
or using standard valuation techniques for the applicable 
instruments and commodities involved.

Investments (note 1):
 The Company is required to assess the carrying values 
of each of its investments in subsidiaries for impairment. 
The net assets of certain of the Company’s subsidiaries 
are predominantly intangible exploration and evaluation 
(E&E) and property, plant and equipment assets. 

Where facts and circumstances indicate that the carrying 
amount of an E&E asset held by a subsidiary may exceed its 
recoverable amount, by reference to the specific indicators 
of impairment of E&E assets, an impairment test of the asset 
is performed by the subsidiary undertaking and the asset is 
impaired by any difference between its carrying value and its 
recoverable amount. The recognition of such an impairment 
by a subsidiary is used by the Company as the primary basis 

www.tullowoil.com

159

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNOTES TO THE COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018

Note 1. Investments 

Shares at cost in subsidiary undertakings
Unlisted investments

2018
$m

5,567.1
–

2017
$m

5,414.3
1.0

5,567.1

5,415.3

During 2018, the Company increased its investments in subsidiaries undertakings by $152.8 million (2017: $429.0 million 
decrease); additional impairment of $202.9 million (2017: $1,553.8 million) was recognised against the Company’s investments 
in subsidiaries to fund losses incurred by Group service companies and exploration companies. During October 2018 Tullow 
disposed of its 9.9 per cent ownership of Ikon Science, an unlisted investment, for $6.2 million.

The Company’s subsidiary undertakings as at 31 December 2018 are listed on pages 171 to 173. The principal activity of all companies 
relates to oil and gas exploration, development and production.

Note 2. Deferred tax
The Company has tax losses of $526.7 million (2017: $513.3 million) that are available indefinitely for offset against future 
non-ring-fenced taxable profits in the Company. A deferred tax asset of $nil (2017: $nil) has been recognised in respect of 
these losses on the basis that the Company does not anticipate making non-ring-fenced profits in the foreseeable future.

Note 3. Other current assets
Amounts falling due within one year

Other debtors
Due from subsidiary undertakings

2018
$m

28.9
1,135.7

2017
$m

12.3
2,124.0

1,164.6

2,136.3

The amounts due from subsidiary undertakings include $1,067.2 million (2017: $1,373.3 million) that incurs interest at LIBOR 
plus 4.5 per cent (2017: LIBOR plus 0.5 per cent–4.5 per cent). The remaining amounts due from subsidiaries accrue no interest. 
All amounts are repayable on demand. At 31 December 2018 a provision of $291.7 million (2017: $124.0 million) was held in 
respect of the recoverability of amounts due from subsidiary undertakings. 

Note 4. Trade and other creditors
Amounts falling due within one year

Accrued interest
Corporation tax payable
Due to subsidiary undertakings

Note 5. Borrowings

Non-current
Bank borrowings – after two years but within five years
  Reserves Based Lending credit facility
  6.0% Senior Notes due 2020
  6.25% Senior Notes due 2022
Bank borrowings – more than five years
  Reserves Based Lending credit facility
  7.00% Senior Notes due 2025

Term loans are secured by fixed and floating charges over the oil and gas assets of the Group. 

160

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

2018
$m

30.9
9.3
313.6

353.8

2017
$m

22.7
–
443.2

465.9

2018
$m

2017
$m

568.0
–
644.4

950.0
789.7

811.0
642.5
643.5

1,252.5
–

2,952.1

3,349.5

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 
 
 
 
Note 6. Financial instruments
Disclosure exemptions adopted
Where equivalent disclosures for the requirements of IFRS 7 Financial Instruments: Disclosures and IFRS 13 Fair Value 
Measurements have been included in the 2018 Annual Report and Accounts of Tullow Oil plc, the Company has adopted 
the disclosure exemptions available to the Company’s accounts.

Financial risk management objectives
The Company follows the Group’s policies for managing all its financial risks.

Fair values of derivative instruments
All derivatives are recognised at fair value on the balance sheet with valuation changes recognised immediately in the income 
statement. Fair value is the amount for which the asset or liability could be exchanged in an arm’s length transaction at the 
relevant date. Where available, fair values are determined using quoted prices in active markets. To the extent that market 
prices are not available, fair values are estimated by reference to market-based transactions, or using standard valuation 
techniques for the applicable instruments and commodities involved.

The Company has an intercompany oil derivative trade with a wholly owned subsidiary to purchase downside oil price protection 
up to 31 December 2020, for a deferred consideration of $69.1 million.

The Company’s derivative carrying and fair values were as follows:

Assets/liabilities

Intercompany oil derivatives

Total assets

Total liabilities

2018
Less than 
1 year
$m

2018
1–3 years
$m

2018
Total
$m

2017
Less than
 1 year
$m

2017
1–3 years
$m

2017
Total
$m

(11.2)

(0.8)

(12.0)

(35.6)

(13.4)

(49.0)

–

–

–

–

–

–

(11.2)

(0.8)

(12.0)

(35.6)

(13.4)

(49.0)

The following provides an analysis of the Company’s financial instruments measured at fair value, grouped into Levels 1 to 3 
based on the degree to which the fair value is observable:

Level 1: fair value measurements are those derived from quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;

Level 2: fair value measurements are those derived from inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 which are 
observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly; and

Level 3: fair value measurements are those derived from valuation techniques which include inputs for the asset or liability that 
are not based on observable market data.

All of the Company’s derivatives are Level 2 (2017: Level 2). There were no transfers between fair value levels during the year.

For financial instruments which are recognised on a recurring basis, the Company determines whether transfers have occurred 
between levels by re-assessing categorisation (based on the lowest-level input which is significant to the fair value 
measurement as a whole) at the end of each reporting period.

Income statement summary
Derivative fair value movements during the year which have been recognised in the income statement were as follows:

Loss on derivative instruments

Intercompany oil derivatives

2018
$m

(1.0)

2017
$m

(58.3)

Cash flow and interest rate risk
The interest rate profile of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities, excluding trade and other receivables and trade and 
other payables, at 31 December 2018 and 31 December 2017 was as follows:

US$
Euro

2018
Cash at bank
$m

2018
Fixed rate 
debt
$m

2018
Floating rate 
debt
$m

2018
Total
$m

2017
Cash at bank
$m

2017
Fixed rate 
debt
$m

2017
Floating rate
 debt
$m

2017
Total
$m

5.5
0.1

5.6

(1,450.0)
–

(1,490.0)
–

(2,934.5)
0.1

(1,450.0)

(1,490.0)

(2,934.4)

6.2
0.1

6.3

(1,300.0)
–

(1,855.0)
–

(3,148.8)
0.1

(1,300.0)

(1,855.0)

(3,148.7)

Cash at bank consisted mainly of deposits which earn interest at rates set in advance for periods ranging from overnight to one 
month by reference to market rates.

www.tullowoil.com

161

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSNOTES TO THE COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONTINUED
YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018

Note 6. Financial instruments continued
Liquidity risk
The following table details the Company’s remaining contractual maturity for its non-derivative financial liabilities with agreed 
repayment periods. The tables have been drawn up based on the undiscounted cash flows of financial liabilities based on the 
earliest date on which the Company can be required to pay.

31 December 2018
Non-interest bearing
Fixed interest rate instruments
  Principal repayments

Interest charge

Variable interest rate instruments
  Principal repayments

Interest charge

31 December 2017
Non-interest bearing
Fixed interest rate instruments
  Principal repayments

Interest charge

Variable interest rate instruments
  Principal repayments

Interest charge

Weighted 
average 
effective
 interest rate

n/a
7.8%

5.5%

Less than 
1 month
$m

1–3
months
$m

3 months 
to 1 year
$m

1–5
years
$m

5+
years
$m

Total
$m

353.8

–
–

–
7.8

361.6

–

–
28.0

–
15.5

43.5

–

–
68.6

–
69.9

–

–

353.8

650.0
325.8

568.0
357.8

800.0
84.0

922.0
40.0

1,450.0
506.4

1,490.0
491.0

138.5

1,901.6

1,846.0

4,291.2

Weighted 
average 
effective 
interest rate

Less than 
1 month
$m

1–3
months
$m

3 months 
to 1 year
$m

n/a
7.5%

7.2%

465.9

–
–

–
10.4

476.3

–

–
–

–
20.9

20.9

1–5
years
$m

–

1,300.0
220.2

5+
years
$m

–

–
–

811.0
420.4

1,344.0
95.9

Total
$m

465.9

1,300.0
299.8

2,155.0
633.5

–

–
79.6

–
85.9

165.5

2,751.6

1,439.9

4,854.2

Sensitivity analysis 
The following analysis is intended to illustrate sensitivity to changes in market variables, being Dated Brent oil prices and US 
dollar exchange rates. The analysis is used internally by management to monitor derivatives and assesses the financial impact 
of reasonably possible movements in key variables.

Brent oil price
Brent oil price

Market movement

25%
(25%)

Impact on profit before tax

2018
$m

–
(17.5)

2017
$m

–
0.4

The following assumptions have been used in calculating the sensitivity in movement of oil prices: the pricing adjustments 
relate only to the point forward mark-to-market (MTM) valuations and the sensitivities have been run only on the intrinsic 
element of the derivatives as management considers this to be the material component of oil derivative valuations.

162

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 
 
 
 
Note 7. Called-up equity share capital and share premium account
Allotted equity share capital and share premium

 At 1 January 2017
Issued during the year 
  Rights Issue
  Exercise of share options

At 1 January 2018
Issued during the year 
  Exercise of share options

At 31 December 2018

Equity share 
capital allotted 
and fully paid 
Number

914,481,960

466,925,724
5,159,652

Share 
capital 
$m 

147.5

60.0
0.7

Share 
premium
$m 

619.3

693.8
13.7

1,386,567,336

208.2

1,326.8

6,872,380

0.9

17.4

1,393,439,16

209.1

1,344.2

The Company does not have an authorised share capital. The par value of the Company’s shares is 10p.

Note 8. New accounting standards
IFRS 9 Financial Instruments
The implementation of IFRS 9 had two key impacts on the Company’s financial statements. These both related to the treatment 
of modification or exchange of financial liabilities.

1) The classification and measurement of financial liabilities held with third parties is materially consistent with that required 
by IAS 39 with the exception of the treatment of modification or exchange of financial liabilities which do not result in de-recognition. 
The Group has identified that retrospective application of IFRS 9 has increased the carrying value of the Reserves Based 
Lending credit facility by $110.8 million and resulted in the need to record a modification loss due to the refinancing of the 
facility in November 2017. Implementation therefore reduced retained earnings on 1 January 2018. This will lower the finance 
costs recognised over the remaining life of the facility compared to the treatment under IAS 39. No other material impact as a 
result of IFRS 9’s classification and measurement requirements has been identified. 

2) The classification and measurement of financial liabilities held with Group companies is materially different to that required 
by IAS 39. The Company has identified that retrospective application of IFRS 9 has resulted in a higher provision being made in 
respect of the recoverability of amounts due from subsidiary undertakings. 

A summary of the impact of the implementation of IFRS 9 is shown below:

Balance sheet

Current assets
Other current assets

Non-current liabilities
Borrowings

Net assets

Retained earnings
Total equity

31 December 
2017 
$m

1 January 
2018 
$m

Transition adjustment on 
implementation of IFRS 9

(1)
$m

(2)
$m

2,136.3

1,800.7

–

(335.6)

(3,349.5)

(3,460.3)

(3,693.5)

(3,247.1)

1,306.6
3,693.5

860.2
3,247.1

(110.8)

(110.8)

(110.8)
(110.8)

–

(335.6)

(335.6)
(335.6)

IFRS 16 Leases
The implementation of IFRS 16 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements as it does not 
presently hold any qualifying leases.

www.tullowoil.com

163

FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL SUMMARY

2018
$m

2017
Restated
$m

2016
$m

2015
$m

 2014
$m

Group income statement
Sales revenue
Other operating income – lost production insurance proceeds
Cost of sales

1,859.2
188.4
(966.0)

1,722.5
162.1
(1,069.3)

1,269.9
90.1
(813.1)

1,606.6
–
(1,015.3)

Gross profit
Administrative expenses 
Restructuring costs
Gain/(loss) on disposal
Goodwill impairment
Exploration costs written off
Impairment of property, plant and equipment, net
Provision for onerous service contracts, net

Operating profit
Gain on hedging instruments
Finance revenue
Finance costs 

Profit/(loss) from continuing activities before tax 
Income tax (expense)/credit 

  1,081.6 
(90.3)
(3.4)
21.3
–
(295.2)
(18.2)
(167.4)

  528.4 
   2.4 
   58.4 
(328.7)

  260.5 
(175.1)

815.3
(95.3)
(14.5)
(1.6)
–
(143.4)
(539.1)
1.0

22.4
1.4
42.0
(351.7)

(285.9)
110.6

546.9
(116.4)
(12.3)
(3.4)
(164.0)
(723.0)
(167.6)
(114.9)

(754.7)
18.2
26.4
(198.2)

(908.3)
311.0

591.3
(193.6)
(40.8)
(56.5)
(53.7)
(748.9)
(406.0)
(185.5)

(1,093.7)
(58.8)
4.2
(149.0)

2,212.9
–
(1,116.7)

1,096.2
(192.4)
–
(482.4)
(132.8)
(1,657.3)
(595.9)
–

(1,964.6)
50.8
9.6
(143.2)

(1,297.3)
260.4

(2,047.4)
407.5

Profit/(loss) for the year from continuing activities 

   85.4 

(175.3)

(597.3)

(1,036.9)

(1,639.9)

Profit/(loss) per ordinary share from continuing activities
Basic – ¢
Diluted – ¢ 

Dividends paid

Group balance sheet
Non-current assets
Net current assets

Total assets less current liabilities
Long-term liabilities

6.1
5.9

–

(13.7)
(13.7)

(55.8)
(55.8)

(97.0)
(97.0)

(153.6)
(153.6)

–

 – 

 – 

182.3

8,212.0
934.9

8,704.2
969.8

8,340.1
813.1

9,506.8
259.2

9,335.1
747.4

9,146.9
(6,253.7)

9,674.0
(6,957.6)

9,153.2
(6,910.7)

9,766.0
(6,591.3)

10,082.5
(6,062.2)

Net assets

2,893.2

2,716.4

2,242.5

3,174.7

4,020.3

Called-up equity share capital
Share premium
Equity component of convertible bonds
Foreign currency translation reserve
Hedge reserve
Hedge reserve – time value
Other reserves
Retained earnings

Equity attributable to equity holders of the Parent
Non-controlling interest

209.1
1,344.2
48.4
(238.6)
130.8
(4.9)
755.2
649.0

2,893.2
–

208.2
1,326.8
48.4
(223.2)
(2.6)
(73.8)
740.9
681.3

2,706.0
10.4

147.5
619.3
48.4
(232.2)
128.2
–
740.9
778.0

2,230.1
12.4

147.2
609.8
–
(249.3)
569.9
–
740.9
1,336.4

3,154.9
19.8

147.0
606.4
–
(205.7)
401.6
–
740.9
2,305.8

3,996.0
24.3

Total equity

2,893.2

2,716.4

2,242.5

3,174.7

4,020.3

*  All comparative figures have been represented to align disclosure of impairments of property, plant and equipment on the face of the income statement 

with 2014.

164

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

Financial calendar

2018 full-year results announced
Annual General Meeting
AGM trading update
Trading statement and 
operational update
2018 half-year results announced

November trading update

13 February 2019
25 April 2019
25 April 2019
26 June 2019

24 July 2019

13 November 2019

Shareholder enquiries
All enquiries concerning shareholdings, including notification 
of change of address, loss of a share certificate or dividend 
payments, should be made to the Company’s registrars.

For shareholders on the UK register, Computershare provides 
a range of services through its online portal, Investor Centre, 
which can be accessed free of charge at www.investorcentre.
co.uk. Once registered, this service, accessible from anywhere 
in the world, enables shareholders to check details of their 
shareholdings or dividends, download forms to notify changes 
in personal details and access other relevant information.

United Kingdom registrar 
Computershare Investor Services PLC 
The Pavilions  
Bridgwater Road  
Bristol BS99 6ZZ

Tel – UK shareholders: 0870 703 6242  
Tel – Irish shareholders: + 353 1 247 5413  
Tel – overseas shareholders: + 44 870 703 6242

Contact: www.investorcentre.co.uk/contactus

Ghana registrar
The Central Securities Depository (Ghana) Limited
4th Floor, Cedi House, P.M.B CT 465 Cantonments, 
Accra, Ghana

Tel – Ghana shareholders: + 233 303 972 254/302 689 313

Contact: info@csd.com.gh

Share dealing service
A telephone share dealing service has been established 
for shareholders with Computershare for the sale and 
purchase of Tullow Oil shares. Shareholders who are 
interested in using this service can obtain further details 
by calling the appropriate telephone number below:

UK shareholders: 0870 703 0084 
Irish shareholders: +353 1 447 5435

If you live outside the UK or Ireland and wish to trade you 
can do so through the Computershare Trading Account. 
To find out more or to open an account, please visit  
www.computershare-sharedealing.co.uk or phone 
Computershare on +44 870 707 1606.

ShareGift
If you have a small number of shares whose value makes 
it uneconomical to sell, you may wish to consider donating 
them to ShareGift which is a UK registered charity specialising 
in realising the value locked up in small shareholdings for 
charitable purposes. The resulting proceeds are donated to 
a range of charities, reflecting suggestions received from 
donors. Should you wish to donate your Tullow Oil plc shares 
in this way, please download and complete a transfer form 
from www.sharegift.org/forms, sign it and send it together 
with the share certificate to ShareGift, PO Box 72253, London 
SW1P 9LQ. For more information regarding this charity, 
visit www.sharegift.org.

Electronic communication
To reduce impact on the environment, the Company 
encourages all shareholders to receive their shareholder 
communications, including annual reports and notices of 
meetings, electronically. Once registered for electronic 
communications, shareholders will be sent an email each 
time the Company publishes statutory documents, providing 
a link to the information.

Tullow actively supports Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading 
woodland conservation charity. Computershare, together 
with Woodland Trust, has established eTree, an environmental 
programme designed to promote electronic shareholder 
communications. Under this programme, the Company makes 
a donation to eTree for every shareholder who registers for 
electronic communication. To register for this service, simply 
visit  http://www.investorcentre.co.uk/etreeuk/tullowoilplc 
 with your shareholder number and email address to hand.

Shareholder security
Shareholders are advised to be cautious about any unsolicited 
financial advice, offers to buy shares at a discount or offers of 
free company reports. More detailed information can be found 
at http://scamsmart.fca.org.uk/ and in the Shareholder 
Services section of the Investors area of the Tullow website: 
www.tullowoil.com.

Corporate brokers
Barclays
5 North Colonnade Canary Wharf London E14 4BB

J. P. Morgan Cazenove
25 Bank Street Canary Wharf London E14 5JP

Davy
Davy House 49 Dawson Street Dublin 2 Ireland

www.tullowoil.com

165

LICENCE INTERESTS
CURRENT EXPLORATION, DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION INTERESTS

WEST AFRICA

Licence/Unit area

Fields 

Côte d’Ivoire1
CI-26 Special Area “E”  Espoir
Equatorial Guinea
Ceiba 
Okume Complex

Ceiba
Okume, Oveng, Ebano, Elon, 
Akom North

Area 
sq km

Tullow 

interest Operator

Other partners

235

21.33% CNR

Petroci 

70
192

14.25% Trident Energy  Kosmos, GEPetrol 
14.25% Trident Energy  Kosmos, GEPetrol 

Gabon
Avouma
Ebouri
Echira
Etame
Ezanga
Gwedidi
Igongo
Limande
Mabounda
Maroc
Maroc Nord
Mbigou
M’Oba
Niembi

Niungo

Avouma, South Tchibala
Ebouri
Echira
Etame, North Tchibala

Gwedidi
Igongo
Limande
Mabounda
Maroc
Maroc Nord
Mbigou
M’Oba
Niembi

Niungo

Oba
Omko
Onal
Ruche
Simba2 
Tchatamba Marin
Tchatamba South
Tchatamba West

Oba
Omko
Onal
Tortue
Simba
Tchatamba Marin
Tchatamba South
Tchatamba West

Turnix

Turnix
Ghana
Deepwater Tano 
Ten Development Area3
West Cape Three Points Jubilee
Jubilee Field  
Unit Area 4,5

Jubilee, Wawa 
Tweneboa, Enyenra, Ntomme

Jubilee, Mahogany, Teak

52
15
76
49
5,626
5
117
54
6
17
17
5
57
4

96

44
16
46
850
315
30
40
25

18

619

150

7.50% Vaalco 
7.50% Vaalco
40.00% Perenco 
7.50% Vaalco 
7.50% Maurel & Prom 
7.50% Maurel & Prom  Gov of Gabon

Addax (Sinopec), Sasol, PetroEnergy 
Addax (Sinopec), Sasol, PetroEnergy 

Addax (Sinopec), Sasol, PetroEnergy 

36.00% Perenco 
40.00% Perenco 

Total, Gov of Gabon 

7.50% Maurel & Prom  Gov of Gabon
7.50% Maurel & Prom  Gov of Gabon
7.50% Maurel & Prom  Gov of Gabon
7.50% Maurel & Prom  Gov of Gabon

24.31% Perenco 

7.50% Maurel & Prom  Gov of Gabon

40.00% Perenco 

10.00% Perenco 

7.50% Maurel & Prom  Gov of Gabon
7.50% Maurel & Prom  Gov of Gabon

10.00% BW Energy
50.00% Perenco 
25.00% Perenco 
25.00% Perenco 
25.00% Perenco 

27.50% Perenco 

Tullow

49.95%
47.18%3
25.66% Tullow 
35.48% Tullow

Panoro, Gov of Gabon

Oranje Nassau 
Oranje Nassau 
Oranje Nassau 

Kosmos, Anadarko, GNPC, Petro SA

Kosmos, Anadarko, GNPC, Petro SA 
Kosmos, Anadarko, GNPC, Petro SA 

Notes:

1.  Exploration licences in Côte d’Ivoire are managed by the New Ventures BDT – refer to this section for details.

2.  Tullow has ‘Back-In Rights’ on this licence as well as a working interest.

3.  GNPC has exercised its right to acquire an additional 5 per cent in the TEN Field. Tullow’s interest is 47.175 per cent.

4.  A unitisation agreement covering the Jubilee Field was agreed by the partners of the West Cape Three Points and the Deepwater Tano licences.

5.  The Jubilee Unit Area was expanded in 2017 to include the Mahogany and Teak fields. It now includes all of the remaining part of the West Cape Three Points 

licence and a small part of the Deepwater Tano licence.

166

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

 
EUROPE6

Licence/Unit area

Blocks

Fields 

Area
sq km

Tullow
 interest

Operator

Other partners

44/21a

44/22a 
44/22b
44/23a (part)
44/28b
44/26a
44/17b

44/18b
44/23b
44/17a (part) 
44/17c (part) 
44/21a (part) 
44/22a (part) 
44/22b (part) 
44/22c (part) 
44/23a (part)
44/17b 
44/17a
44/26a 
43/30a

49/24aF1  
(Gawain)

49/28a 
49/28b
49/28a (part)

United Kingdom6
CMS Area
P450

P451

P452 
P453
P516
P1006 

P1058 

CMS III Unit11

Munro Unit11

Schooner Unit11

Thames Area
P007

P037

P039
P786
P852
Gawain Unit11

Notes:

Boulton B & F7
Murdoch7
Boulton H7,8
Murdoch K7,8
Ketch7
Schooner7,9
Munro7,10
Kelvin7

77

89

48
49
49
48

46

9.50% ConocoPhillips  Neptune Energy 

34.00% ConocoPhillips  Neptune Energy 

6.91% ConocoPhillips  Neptune Energy 

40.00% Faroe
42.96% Faroe
20.00% ConocoPhillips  Neptune Energy 

22.50% ConocoPhillips  Neptune Energy 

Boulton H7, Hawksley7,  
McAdam7, Murdoch K7

14.10% ConocoPhillips  Neptune Energy

Munro7

Schooner7

15.00% ConocoPhillips  Neptune Energy

40.00% Faroe 

Gawain7,12

69

50.00% Perenco 

Thames7, Yare7, Bure7 
Wensum7 
Thurne7, Deben7

53/04d
53/03c
53/04b
49/24F1 (Gawain)
49/29a (part)

Wissey7
Horne7
Horne & Wren7
Gawain7

90

66.67% Perenco 

Spirit Energy

86.96% Tullow

29
8
17

76.90% Tullow
50.00% Tullow
50.00% Tullow
50.00% Perenco

Perenco &  
Spirit Energy
Faroe 
Centrica 
Centrica

6.  Operations in the UK are dealt with by the West African BDT despite falling outside this geographic region.

7.  These fields are no longer producing. Decommissioning works are ongoing.

8.  Refer to CMS III Unit for field interest.

9.  Refer to Schooner Unit for field interest.

10. Refer to Munro Unit for field interest.

11. For the UK offshore area, fields that extend across more than one licence area with differing partner interests become part of a unitised area. The interest held 
in the Unitised Field Area is split amongst the holders of the relevant licences according to their proportional ownership of the field. The unitised areas in which 
Tullow is involved are listed in addition to the nominal licence holdings.

12. Refer to Gawain Unit for field interest.

www.tullowoil.com

167

LICENCE INTERESTS CONTINUED
CURRENT EXPLORATION, DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION INTERESTS

EAST AFRICA

Licence

Fields 

Kenya
Block 10BA
Block 10BB
Block 12A
Block 12B
Block 13T
Uganda
Exploration Area 1
Exploration Area 1A
Production Licence 1/12
Tilenga Project14
Production Licence 01/16 
Production Licence 02/16 
Production Licence 03/16 
Production Licence 04/16 
Production Licence 05/16 
Production Licence 06/16
Production Licence 07/16
Production Licence 08/16

Note:

Amosing, Ngamia

Twiga

Jobi East, Mpyo
Lyec
Kingfisher

Kasamene, Wahrindi
Kigogole, Ngara
Nsoga
Ngege
Mputa, Nzizi, Waraga
Ngiri
Jobi, Rii
Gunya

Area 
sq km

Tullow 
interest

Operator

Other partners

15,811
6,172
15,390
6,200
4,719

50.00%
50.00%
40.00%
100.00%
50.00%

Tullow
Tullow
Delonex 
Tullow
Tullow

Africa Oil, Total 
Africa Oil, Total 

Africa Oil, Total 

372
85
344

20
92
60
57
86
50
121
55

33.33%  13 Total
33.33%  13 Total
33.33% 13 CNOOC

33.33% 13
33.33% 13
33.33% 13
33.33% 13
33.33% 13
33.33% 13
33.33% 13
33.33% 13

Tullow13
Tullow13
Tullow13
Tullow13
Tullow13
Total
Total
Total

CNOOC
CNOOC
Total

CNOOC, Total
CNOOC, Total
CNOOC, Total
CNOOC, Total
CNOOC, Total
CNOOC
CNOOC
CNOOC

13. Tullow has signed Sale and Purchase Agreements with Total and CNOOC, which will reduce its holding to 11.76 per cent, and see transfer of operatorship in 
PL 01/16, PL 02/16, PL 03/16, PL 04/16 and PL 05/16 to Total. Completion of the deal is subject to government approval. Tullow’s interest will further reduce 
to 10 per cent once the Uganda National Oil Company’s entry into the licences is completed.

14. The Tilenga Project involves the development of fields located in Production Licences 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07 & 08/16.

168

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

The Comoros
Block 3515
Block 3615 
Block 3715
Côte d’Ivoire16
CI-301
CI-302
CI-518
CI-519
CI-520
CI-521
CI-522
CI-524
Guyana
Kanuku
Orinduik
Jamaica
Walton Morant
Mauritania
Block C-3 
Block C-18
PSC B  
(Chinguetti EEA)18
Namibia
PEL 0037

Pakistan
Kohlu
Peru
Block Z-3820
Block Z-6421
Block Z-6521
Block Z-6621
Block Z-6721
Block Z-6821
Suriname 
Block 47
Block 54
Block 62 
Uruguay
Block 1522
Zambia
PEL 28

Notes:

NEW VENTURES

Licence 

Blocks

Fields 

Area
sq km

5,368
5,952
4,743

1,495
1,412
1,250
887
1,059
1,280
1,229
551

5,165
1,776

Tullow 
interest

35.00%
35.00%
35.00%

60.00%  17
60.00%  17
60.00%  17
60.00%  17
60.00%  17
60.00%  17
60.00%  17
90.00%

Operator

Other partners

Tullow
Tullow
Tullow

Tullow
Tullow
Tullow
Tullow
Tullow
Tullow
Tullow
Tullow

Bahari, Discovery Expl
Bahari, Discovery Expl
Bahari, Discovery Expl

Cairn Energy, Petroci 
Cairn Energy, Petroci 
Cairn Energy, Petroci 
Cairn Energy, Petroci 
Cairn Energy, Petroci 
Cairn Energy, Petroci 
Cairn Energy, Petroci 
Petroci 

37.50%
60.00%

Repsol 
Tullow

Total 
Total, Eco O&G

32,065

80.00%

Tullow

United Oil & Gas

7,350
13,225
31

90.00%
15.00%
22.26%

Tullow
Total
Petronas

SMHPM 
Kosmos, BP, SMHPM 
SMHPM, Premier, Kufpec 

Chinguetti19

2012B, 2112A, 
2113B

17,295

35.00%

Tullow

Pancontinental, ONGC Videsh, 
Paragon 

2,459

30.00%

OGDCL

MPCL 

4,875
542
5,162
5,616
5,884
6,002

2,369
8,480
4,061

Pitkin 

35.00% Karoon
100.00% Tullow
100.00% Tullow
100.00% Tullow
100.00% Tullow
100.00% Tullow

50.00% Tullow
50.00% Tullow
100.00% Tullow

Pluspetrol, Ratio Exploration 
Equinor
Equinor, Noble Energy 

8,030

35.00% Tullow

Equinor, Inpex 

Block 31

52,937

97.50% Tullow

Geo-Petroleum

15. Tullow’s farm-in to this licence is subject to government approval.

16. Production operations in Côte d’Ivoire are managed by the West African BDT – refer to this section for details.

17. Tullow has agreed a farm-down of this licence to Cairn Energy; percentage shown is on completion of deal which is subject to government approval.

18. PSC B (Chinguetti EEA) is dealt with by the West Africa BDT.

19. This field is no longer in production.

20. Tullow’s farm-in to this licence is subject to government approval.

21. Tullow’s acquisition of this licence is subject to negotiation and government approval.

22. Tullow has decided not to enter the next term of this licence. It will withdraw from the licence in Q1 2019.

www.tullowoil.com

169

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
COMMERCIAL RESERVES AND CONTINGENT RESOURCES SUMMARY
(UNAUDITED) WORKING INTEREST BASIS

West Africa

East Africa

New Ventures

TOTAL

Oil
mmbbl

Gas
bcf

Oil
mmbbl

Gas
bcf

Oil
mmbbl

Gas
bcf

Oil
mmbbl

Gas
bcf

Petroleum
mmboe

Commercial reserves

1 January 2018
Revisions
Disposals
Transfer from contingent 
resources
Production 

31 December 2018

Contingent resources

245.7
16.6
–

268.9
8.1
(10.6)

2.5
(28.6)

–
(6.5)

236.2

259.9

–
–
–

–
–

–

–
–
–

–
–

–

1 January 2018
Additions
Revisions
Disposals and relinquishments
Transfers to commercial 
reserves

121.4
17.6
0.9
(0.1)

465.1
80.1
16.7
(125.9)

637.8
–
18.9
–

42.7
–
–
–

(2.5)

–

–

–

31 December 2018

137.3

436.0

656.7

42.7

Total

31 December 2018

373.5

695.9

656.7

42.7

–
–
–

–
–

–

–
–
–
–

–

–

–

–
–
–

–
–

–

245.7
16.6
–

268.9
8.1
(10.6)

290.5
18.0
(1.8)

2.5
(28.6)

–
(6.5)

2.5
(29.7)

236.2

259.9

279.5

4.2
–
–
(4.2)

759.2
17.6
19.8
(0.1)

507.8
80.1
16.7
(130.2)

844.4
30.9
22.6
(21.8)

–

–

–

(2.5)

–

(2.5)

794.0

478.7

873.6

1,030.2

738.6

1,153.1

1. 

 Proven and Probable Commercial Reserves are as audited and reported by an independent engineer. Reserves estimates for each field are reviewed by the 
independent engineer based on significant new data or a material change with a review of each field undertaken at least every two years, with the exception 
of minor assets contributing less than 5 per cent of the Group’s reserves.

2. 

 Proven and Probable Contingent Resources are as audited and reported by an independent engineer. Resources estimates are reviewed by the independent 
engineer based on significant new data received following exploration or appraisal drilling.

3. 

 The West Africa revisions to reserves (+18 mmboe) relate mainly to audits of Espoir, Okume, Ezanga and Tchatamba.

4. 

 The West Africa disposals to gas reserves and resources relates to disposal of the Netherlands assets and cessation production in the UK and Mauritania.

5. 

 The West Africa additions to contingent resources relates to Espoir, Okume, Igongo, Ezanga and Tchatamba as a result of the recognition of potential from 
additional evaluations

6.  The East Africa addition to oil contingent resources relates mainly to the audit of Etom discovery in Kenya.

The Group provides for depletion and amortisation of tangible fixed assets on a net entitlements basis, which reflects the terms 
of the Production Sharing Contracts related to each field. Total net entitlement reserves were 264.9 mmboe at 31 December 2018 
(31 December 2017: 284.1 mmboe). 

Contingent Resources relate to resources in respect of which development plans are in the course of preparation or further 
evaluation is under way with a view to future development.

170

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TRANSPARENCY DISCLOSURE

Transparency disclosure
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 regulations implement 
Chapter 10 of EU Accounting Directive (2013/34/EU).

The UK Regulations came into effect on 1 January 2015, 
but Tullow was an early adopter of the EU Directive and has 
published its tax payments to governments in full, in its 
Annual Report and Accounts since 2013. The 2017 disclosure 
remains in line with the EU Directive and UK Regulations and 
we have provided additional voluntary disclosure on VAT, 
stamp duty, withholding tax, PAYE and other taxes.

The payments disclosed are based on where the obligation 
for the payment arose; payments raised at a project level 
have been disclosed at project level and payments raised at 
a corporate level have been disclosed on that basis. However, 
where a payment or a series of related payments does not 
exceed £86,000, it is disclosed at a corporate level, in accordance 
with the UK Regulations. The voluntary disclosure has been 
prepared on a corporate level.

All of the payments disclosed in accordance with the Directive 
have been made to national governments, either directly or 
through a ministry or department of the national government, 
with the exception of Ghana payments in respect of production 
entitlements and licence fees, which are paid to the Ghana 
national oil company. Our total economic contribution to all 
stakeholders and our 2018 tax payments can be found on 
page 177.

Production entitlements in barrels – includes non-cash royalties 
and state non-participating interest paid in barrels of oil or 
gas out of Tullow’s working interest share of production in a 
licence. The figures disclosed are produced on an entitlement 
basis rather than a liftings basis. It does not include the 
government’s or NOC’s working interest share of production 
in a licence. Production entitlements have been multiplied 
by the Group’s 2018 average realised oil price $68.5/bbl.

Income taxes – represent cash tax calculated on the basis of 
profits including income or capital gains. 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 rebates received from the government or revenue 
authority during the year. Income taxes do not include fines 
and penalties.

Royalties – represent 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. Royalties paid in kind 
have been recognised within the production entitlements 
category. The cash payment of royalties occurs in the year 
in which the tax has arisen.

Bonus payments – represent any bonus paid to governments 
during the year, usually as a result of achieving certain 
milestones, such as a signature bonus, POD bonus or a 
production bonus.

Licence fees – represent 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).

Infrastructure improvement payments – represent 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, ports, schools 
and hospitals.

VAT – represents net cash VAT received from/paid to governments 
during the year. The amount disclosed is equal to the VAT 
return submitted by Tullow to governments with the cash 
payment made in the year the charge is borne. It should be 
noted the operator of a Joint Venture typically makes VAT 
payments in respect of the Joint Venture as a whole and, as 
such, where Tullow has a non-operated presence in a country, 
limited VAT will be paid.

Stamp duty – includes taxes that are placed on legal documents 
usually in the transfer of assets or capital. Usually these taxes 
are reflected in stamp duty returns made to governments and 
are paid shortly after capital or assets are transferred.

Withholding tax (WHT) – represents tax charged on services, 
interest, dividends or other distributions of profits. The amount 
disclosed is equal to the WHT return submitted by Tullow 
to governments with the cash payment made in the year 
the charge is borne. It should be noted the operator of a 
Joint Venture typically makes WHT payments in respect of 
the Joint Venture as a whole and, as such, where Tullow has a 
non-operated presence in a country, limited WHT will be paid.

PAYE and national insurance – represent payroll and employer 
taxes paid (such as PAYE and national insurance) by Tullow as 
a direct employer. The amount disclosed is equal to the return 
submitted by Tullow to governments with the cash payment 
made in the year the charge is borne.

Carried interests – comprise payments made under a 
carrying agreement or PSC/PSA by Tullow for the cash 
settlement of costs owed by a government or national oil 
company for their equity interest in a licence.

Customs duties – represent cash payments made in respect 
of customs/excise/import and export duties made during the 
year including items such as railway levies. These payments 
typically arise through the import/transportation of goods into 
a country with the cash payment made in the year the charge 
is borne.

Training allowances – comprise payments made in respect of 
training government or national oil company staff. This can be 
in the form of mandatory contractual requirements or 
discretionary training provided by a company.

www.tullowoil.com

171

TRANSPARENCY DISCLOSURE CONTINUED

2018

Production
 entitlements

Production
 entitlements

Income
taxes

Royalties
 (cash only)

Dividends

Bonus
 payments

Licence/Company level

BBL ’000

$000

$000

$000

$000

$000

Licence
fees

$000

Infrastructure
 improvement
 payments

$000

European transparency directive disclosure

CI-301

CI-302

CI-518

CI-519

CI-520

CI-521

CI-522

C1-524

CI-26 Special Area “E”

Tullow Cote d’Ivoire Exploration Ltd.

Total Côte d’Ivoire

Ceiba

Okume Complex

Tullow Equatorial Guinea Ltd.

Total Equatorial Guinea

Echira

Ezanga

Ingongo

Limande

M’Oba

Niungo

Tchatamba

Turnix

Tullow Oil Gabon SA

Oba

Tulipe Oil SA

Total Gabon

Jubilee

TEN

Tullow Ghana Ltd.

Total Ghana

Block C-3

Tullow Mauritania Ltd.

PSC B (Chinguetti EEA)

Total Mauritania

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

137

351

–

488

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

550

556

–

1,105

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

3,514

–

3,514

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

12,976

12,976

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

7,186

–

754

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

2,963

2,770

26

4,719

109

4,715

10,807

2,459

–

1,631

–

7,940

30,199

–

–

52,000

52,000

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

7,000

–

1,000

8,000

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

375

375

375

1000

–

–

2,125

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

59

59

22

–

35

57

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

2,175

2,175

–

–

–

–

172

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

Voluntary disclosure

Stamp 
duty

Withholding
 tax

PAYE and
 national
 insurance

Carried
 interests

Customs
 duties

$000

$000

$000

$000

$000

VAT

$000

MGO 
taxes

$000

R&D 
credit

$000

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

2,898

2,898

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

42

–

–

42

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

22

22

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

55

–

6

61

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

78,484

78,484

17,842

17,842

20,222

20,222

5,399

5,399

6

6

–

12

–

46

–

46

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

6,774

8,449

–

15,223

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Training 
allowances

$000

367

367

367

367

250

308

308

313

–

–

2,645

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Total

$000

367

367

367

367

625

683

683

1,313

3,514

22

8,305

–

–

12,976

12,976

2,963

2,770

26

4,719

109

4,715

10,807

2,459

14,284

1,631

1,760

46,243

6,774

8,449

250

250

350

–

–

350

179,330

194,553

378

52

35

465

Total

BBL ’000

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

137

351

–

488

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

550

556

–

1,105

–

–

–

–

www.tullowoil.com

173

TRANSPARENCY DISCLOSURE CONTINUED

2018

Production
 entitlements

Production
 entitlements

Income
taxes

Royalties
 (cash only)

Dividends

Bonus
 payments

Licence/Company level

BBL ’000

$000

$000

$000

$000

$000

European transparency directive disclosure

Block 10BA

Block 10BB

Block 12A

Block 12B

Block 13T

Pipeline

Tullow Kenya B.V.

Total Kenya

Tullow South Africa Pty Ltd.

Total South Africa

PEL 37

Tullow Namibia Ltd.

Total Namibia

PEL 28

Tullow Zambia B.V.

Total Zambia

Tullow Uganda Operations Pty

Tullow Uganda Ltd.

Total Uganda

Tullow Tanzania

Total Tanzania

Tullow Mozambique

Total Mozambique

Orinduik

Tullow Guyana B.V.

Total Guyana

Walton Morant

Tullow Jamaica

Total for Jamaica

Kohlu

Kohat

Tullow Pakistan Developments Ltd.

Total Pakistan

Tullow Suriname B.V.

Total Suriname

Tullow Group Services

Tullow Overseas Holdings

Tullow Oil Plc Group

Tullow Oil SK Ltd

Total UK

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

1

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

1

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1,103

1,103

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

174

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

Licence
fees

Infrastructure
 improvement
 payments

$000

231

93

–

93

19

–

–

436

–

–

175

–

175

71

–

71

158

–

158

–

–

–

–

40

–

40

128

–

128

4

–

–

4

–

–

–

–

–

1,221

1,221

$000

–

–

–

–

–

–

51

51

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

9

2

–

11

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Voluntary disclosure

Stamp 
duty

Withholding
 tax

PAYE and
 national
 insurance

Carried
 interests

Customs
 duties

$000

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

$000

9

583

7

–

315

18

408

1,342

–

–

–

546

546

–

17

17

686

2

688

321

321

–

–

–

123

123

–

–

–

–

–

18

18

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

$000

$000

$000

–

–

–

–

–

–

6,095

6,095

2,446

2,446

–

4

4

–

–

–

3,168

–

3,168

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

89

89

338

338

53,373

–

–

–

53,373

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

76

76

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

14

–

14

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

VAT

$000

–

–

–

–

–

–

5

5

(316)

(316)

–

113

113

–

(158)

(158)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(21,063)

–

–

–

(21,063)

MGO 
taxes

$000

R&D 
credit

$000

Training 
allowances

$000

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

790

790

–

–

–

54

54

–

–

–

50

–

50

–

–

–

–

–

25

25

–

107

107

3

1

–

4

210

210

–

–

–

–

–

Total

BBL ’000

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Total

$000

240

676

7

93

334

18

7,427

8,795

2,130

2,130

175

717

892

71

(141)

(70)

4,075

2

4,077

321

321

1

1

40

148

188

128

107

235

17

2

1,209

1,229

548

548

32,309

–

–

1,221

33,530

www.tullowoil.com

175

TRANSPARENCY DISCLOSURE CONTINUED

2018

Licence/Company level

Tullow Oil Limited

Total Ireland

Tullow Oil Norge AS

Total Norway

Tullow Netherlands Holding Coop BA

Total Netherlands

Tullow Uruguay Ltd.

Total Uruguay

TOTAL

European transparency directive disclosure

Production
 entitlements

Production
 entitlements

Income
taxes

Royalties
 (cash only)

Dividends

Bonus
 payments

BBL ’000

$000

$000

$000

$000

$000

Licence
fees

$000

Infrastructure
 improvement
 payments

$000

–

–

–

–

-

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(1,364)

(1,364)

5,485

5,485

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1,593

3,514

78,141

30,199

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

8,000

4,474

2,236

1  Production entitlements disclosed for Ghana excludes 4,467,372 bbls and 3,067,887 bbls taken by GNPC in respect of its equity interest in the Jubilee and 

TEN respectively.

176

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

Voluntary disclosure

Stamp 
duty

Withholding
 tax

PAYE and
 national
 insurance

Carried
 interests

Customs
 duties

$000

$000

$000

$000

$000

MGO 
taxes

$000

R&D 
credit

$000

Training 
allowances

$000

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

5,296 

5,296

1,465

1,465

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

(1,790)

(1,790)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

100

100

VAT

$000

 (850)

(850)

(95)

(95)

(151)

(151)

–

–

(19,618)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

81,593

90,244

 20,222

5,489

15,223

(1,790)

4,585

322,511

Total

$000

2,656

2,656

5

5

5,334

5,334

100

100

Total

BBL ’000

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1,593

1,593

Payments in kind in $000

109,143

 Total 

431,654 

www.tullowoil.com

177

SUSTAINABILITY DATA

ENVIRONMENT

Atmospherics

Total air emissions (tonnes of CO2e)
Scope 1 total air emissions (tonnes of CO2e)
Scope 2 total air emissions (tonnes of CO2e)
Scope 3 total air emissions (tonnes of CO2e)
Total air emissions by production  
(tonnes of CO2e) per thousand tonnes hydrocarbon produced
Scope 2 total air emissions by production (tonnes of CO2e) per 
thousand tonnes hydrocarbon produced

C02 emissions (tonnes)
CH4 emissions (tonnes)
N2O emissions (tonnes)
CO2 emissions (tonnes) per thousand tonnes of HC produced
CH4 emissions (tonnes) per 1,000 tonnes of HC produced
N2O emissions (tonnes) per 1,000 tonnes of HC produced
Flaring

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

 803,724 

 758,790 

 772,110 

1,619,055

1,235,349

 799,551 

 752,539 

 754,338 

1,603,384

1,218,010

 4,173 

 4,631 

1,620

 4,763 

13,010

2,928

12,743

2,996

14,343

 123.84 

 122.07 

 142.11 

 185 

 139

 0.64 

 0.75 

0.88

0.34

0.34

 685,204 

 656,932 

 653,813 

 1,306,254

 998,141 

 2,191 

 41.84 

 106 

 0.34 

 0.01 

 2,073 

 2,741.00 

 29.85 

 21.98 

 106 

 0.33 

 0.00 

 122 

 0.51 

 0.00 

13,315 

 63.45 

 150 

1.52 

 0.01 

 9,686

60.54

 112

1.09 

0.01

Total hydrocarbon flared (tonnes)

 117,516 

 110,638 

 149,217 

 290,797 

 142,259 

Total hydrocarbon flared by production  
(tonnes per thousand tonnes hydrocarbon produced)

 18.11 

 17.84 

 27.93 

 33.29 

 16.03 

Water usage

Metered water (m3) 

Seawater (m3)

Ground water (m3)

Fresh water (m3) 

Other water (m3)

 59,220 

 70,466 

 56,728 

 89,366 

 96,215 

 9,885,133 

 8,004,940 

 9,080,888 

 12,567,127   13,412,811 

 129,956 

 113,847 

 46,322 

 60,998 

 58,401 

 11,695 

 3,643 

 – 

 10 

 – 

 – 

 – 

–

 1,537 

 3,622 

Total water usage (m3) – all operational sites

 10,089,647 

 8,189,263 

 9,183,938 

 12,719,028   13,571,049 

Recycled water (m3) 

Total water from sustainable sources (m3)

Waste

Total waste disposed (tonnes)

Waste recycled/re-used/treated (%)

Waste recycled/re-used/treated (tonnes)

Hazardous waste disposed (tonnes)

Hazardous waste recycled/re-used/treated (%)

 11,250 

 11,250 

 5,451 

 5,451 

 4,722 

 4,722 

2,308

2,308

 554 

554

 75,799 

 72,380 

 58,554 

 39,407 

 64,026 

 63.82 

 70.93 

 45,924 

 45,882 

 97.85 

 50,487 

 50,487 

 99.49 

 27.95 

 8,903 

 8,903 

 74.36 

 5.00 

 1,129 

 1,137 

 31 

 18.00 

 10,983 

 11,165 

 97 

Non-hazardous waste recycled/re-used/treated (%)

 29,917 

 21,893 

 49,651 

 38,270 

 52,861 

Non-hazardous waste recycled/re-used/treated (%)

 3.68 

 3.44 

 15.01 

2

Uncontrolled releases 

Oil and chemical spills (#)

Oil and chemical spills (tonnes)

Energy use

 15 

 7 

 715.85 

 24.71 

 2 

 4.85 

 3 

 6.44 

0

 – 

 – 

Total operations indirect and direct energy use (GJ)

 5,345,475 

 5,104,423 

 7,272,710 

8,007,696

9,709,223

Total indirect and direct energy use (GJ)

 5,375,436 

 5,158,200 

 7,318,373 

 8,036,831  9,744,373

Total indirect and direct energy use by production  
(GL per thousand tonnes hydrocarbon produced)

Fines and sanctions

 828 

80,000 

 832 

– 

 1,370 

 920 

1,098

–

–

–

178

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
HEALTH AND SAFETY

Hours worked (million)

Number of employee fatalities

Number of contractor fatalities

Number of third-party fatalities involving members of the public

Lost time injuries (LTIs)

Lost time injuries frequency rate (LTIF)

OGP LTIF

Total recordable injuries (TRI)

Total recordable injuries frequency rate (TRIF)

OGP TRIF

High-potential incidents (HiPos)

High-potential incident frequency rate (HiPoF)

Malaria frequency rate

Kilometres driven (‘000,000)

Vehicle accident frequency rate (VAFR)

LOCAL CONTENT

Local supplier spend ($ million)

By country

Ethiopia

Ghana

Kenya

Mauritania

Uganda

Total

2014

2015

 22.43 

 13.29 

2016

 9.20 

2017

 10.89 

2018

10.53

–

–

1

13

0.58

0.36

41

1.83

1.54

25

1.11

0.03

 15.54 

0.77

–

–

–

4

0.30

0.29

12

0.90

1.21

15

1.13

0.3

 6.45 

0.47

–

–

–

–

–

0.27

9

0.98

1.03

8

0.87

–

 5.44 

0.55

2014

2015

2016

 225.4 

 308.9 

 336.6 

2014

–

 123.6 

 81.5 

–

 20.3 

2015

–

 226.0 

 75.0 

–

 7.9 

2016

–

 297.0 

 28.0 

–

 11.6 

–

–

1

4

0.37

0.27

8

0.73

0.96

7

0.64

–

 5.19 

0.77

2017

234.6

2017

–

194.2

37.0

–

3.4

–

–

1

3

0.28

n/a

6

0.57

n/a

6

0.57

–

5.4

0.18

2018

283.4

2018

–

251.3

30.5

–

1.6

 225.4 

 308.9 

 336.6

234.6

283.4

www.tullowoil.com

179

SUSTAINABILITY DATA CONTINUED

COMPLIANCE 

Corruption 

Fraud

Workplace compliance

Supply chain

Total speaking up cases

OUR PEOPLE

Number of employees

Number of contractors

Number of expatriates in the workforce

Number of people on local contract terms

Number of females in the workforce

Total workforce

Number of female managers

Total number of managers

Number of female Senior Managers

Total number of Senior Managers

Number of female Board members

Total number of Board members

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

14

10

35

9

68

2014

1,595

447

448

1,594

583

2,042

90

442

4

53

2

12

17

22

47

17

103

2015

1,156

247

268

1,135

396

1,403

76

338

14

115

2

12

5

19

46

21

91

2016

1,023

129

173

979

336

2

8

38

12

60

2017

922

108

144

886

313

1,152

1,030

66

297

9

68

2

11

59

274

10

65

1

9

8

11

37

10

66

2018

893

97

144

846

303

990

65

271

14

68

1

8

180

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

TULLOW OIL PLC SUBSIDIARIES
AS AT 12 FEBRUARY 2019

Each undertaking listed below is a subsidiary by virtue of Tullow Oil plc holding, directly or indirectly, a majority of voting rights 
in the undertaking. The ownership percentages are equal to the effective equity owned by the Group. Unless otherwise noted, 
the share capital of each undertaking comprises ordinary shares or the local equivalent thereof.

The percentage of equity owned by the group is 100 per cent unless otherwise noted. The results of all undertakings listed below 
are fully consolidated in the group’s financial statements. 

Company name

Country of incorporation

Direct or indirect

Address of registered office

Hardman Oil and Gas Pty Ltd
Hardman Resources Pty Ltd
Tullow Chinguetti Production Pty Ltd
Tullow Petroleum (Mauritania) Pty Ltd
Tullow Uganda Holdings Pty Ltd
Tullow Uganda Operations Pty Ltd
Tullow Do Brasil Petroleo E Gas Ltda1

Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Australia
Brazil

Indirect
Indirect
Indirect
Indirect
Indirect
Indirect
Indirect

Tullow (EA) Holdings Limited 

British Virgin Islands Indirect

Tullow Oil Canada Ltd

Canada

Indirect

Planet Oil International Limited

England and Wales

Indirect

Tullow New Ventures Limited 
(name change in 2018)
Tullow Comoros Limited (new 2018)

England and Wales

Indirect

England and Wales

Indirect

Tullow Côte D’Ivoire Onshore Limited

England and Wales

Indirect

Tullow EG Exploration Limited

England and Wales

Indirect

Tullow Gambia Limited

England and Wales

Indirect

Tullow Greenland Exploration Limited

England and Wales

Indirect

Tullow Group Services Limited

England and Wales

Direct

Tullow Guinea Limited

England and Wales

Indirect

Tullow Jamaica Limited

England and Wales

Indirect

Tullow Mozambique Limited

England and Wales

Indirect

Tullow Oil 100 Limited

England and Wales

Direct

Tullow Oil 101 Limited

England and Wales

Direct

Tullow Oil Finance Limited

England and Wales

Direct

Tullow Oil SK Limited

England and Wales

Direct

Tullow Oil SNS Limited

England and Wales

Direct

Tullow Oil SPE Limited

England and Wales

Direct

Tullow Peru Limited

England and Wales

Indirect

Tullow Senegal Exploration Limited

England and Wales

Indirect

Tullow Technologies Limited

England and Wales

Indirect

Level 9, 1 William Street, Perth WA 6000, Australia
Level 9, 1 William Street, Perth WA 6000, Australia
Level 9, 1 William Street, Perth WA 6000, Australia
Level 9, 1 William Street, Perth WA 6000, Australia
Level 9, 1 William Street, Perth WA 6000, Australia
Level 9, 1 William Street, Perth WA 6000, Australia
Avenida Rio Branco 311, suite 509 – part, Centro, 
CEP: 20040-903, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Nemours Chambers, Road Town, Tortola, VG1110, 
British Virgin Islands
855 – 2 Street SW, Suite 3500, Calgary AB T2P 
4J8, Canada
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom

www.tullowoil.com

181

TULLOW OIL PLC SUBSIDIARIES CONTINUED
AS AT 12 FEBRUARY 2019

Company name

Country of incorporation

Direct or indirect

Address of registered office

Tullow Uganda Midstream Limited

England and Wales

Indirect

Tullow Uruguay Limited

England and Wales

Indirect

Hardman Petroleum France SAS

France

Tulipe Oil SA
Tullow Oil Gabon SA
Tullow Oil (Mauritania) Ltd

Gabon
Gabon
Guernsey

Tullow Oil Holdings (Guernsey) Ltd

Guernsey

Tullow Oil Limited

Ireland

Tullow Congo Limited

Isle of Man

Tullow Equatorial Guinea Limited

Isle of Man

Tullow Gabon Holdings Limited2

Isle of Man

Tullow Gabon Limited

Isle of Man

Tullow Mauritania Limited

Isle of Man

Tullow Namibia Limited

Tullow Uganda Limited

Tullow Côte D’Ivoire Exploration Limited
Tullow Côte D’Ivoire Limited
Tullow Ghana Limited
Tullow India Operations Limited
Tullow Madagascar Limited
Tullow Oil (Jersey) Limited
Tullow Oil International Limited

Tullow Pakistan (Developments) Limited
Tullow Ethiopia BV

Isle of Man

Isle of Man

Jersey
Jersey
Jersey
Jersey
Jersey
Jersey
Jersey
Jersey
Netherlands

Indirect

Indirect
Indirect
Indirect

Indirect

Direct

Indirect

Indirect

Indirect

Indirect

Indirect

Indirect

Indirect

Indirect
Indirect
Indirect
Indirect
Indirect
Direct
Indirect
Indirect
Indirect

Tullow Global Compliance BV

Netherlands

Indirect

Tullow Guyana BV

Netherlands

Indirect

Tullow Hardman Holdings BV

Netherlands

Indirect

Tullow Kenya BV

Netherlands

Indirect

Tullow Mexico BV

Netherlands

Indirect

Tullow Netherlands Holding 
Cooperatief BA
Tullow Overseas Holdings BV

Netherlands

Indirect

Netherlands

Direct

Tullow Suriname BV

Netherlands

Indirect

Tullow Tanzania BV

Netherlands

Indirect

Tullow Uganda Holdings BV

Netherlands

Indirect

182

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
Parc d’Activite – c o Soprim Degrad des Cannes  
97354 Remire Montjoly, French Guiana
Rue Louise Charon B.P. 9773, Libreville
Rue Louise Charon B.P. 9773, Libreville
P.O. Box 119, Martello Court, Admiral Park, St. 
Peter Port, GY1 3HB, Guernsey 
P.O. Box 119, Martello Court, Admiral Park, St. 
Peter Port, GY1 3HB, Guernsey 
Number 1, Central Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 
18, Ireland 
First Names House, Victoria Road, Douglas, 
IM2 4DF, Isle of Man
First Names House, Victoria Road, Douglas, 
IM2 4DF, Isle of Man
First Names House, Victoria Road, Douglas, 
IM2 4DF, Isle of Man
First Names House, Victoria Road, Douglas, 
IM2 4DF, Isle of Man
First Names House, Victoria Road, Douglas, 
IM2 4DF, Isle of Man
First Names House, Victoria Road, Douglas, 
IM2 4DF, Isle of Man
First Names House, Victoria Road, Douglas, 
IM2 4DF, Isle of Man
44 Esplanade St Helier, JE4 9WG Jersey
44 Esplanade St Helier, JE4 9WG Jersey
44 Esplanade St Helier, JE4 9WG Jersey
44 Esplanade St Helier, JE4 9WG Jersey
44 Esplanade St Helier, JE4 9WG Jersey
44 Esplanade St Helier, JE4 9WG Jersey
44 Esplanade St Helier, JE4 9WG Jersey
44 Esplanade St Helier, JE4 9WG Jersey
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
Prinses Margrietplantsoen 33, 2595AM 
‘s-Gravenhage, The Netherlands
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
Prinses Margrietplantsoen 33, 2595AM 
‘s-Gravenhage, The Netherlands
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
Prinses Margrietplantsoen 33, 2595AM 
’s-Gravenhage, The Netherlands
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
Prinses Margrietplantsoen 33, 2595AM 
’s-Gravenhage, The Netherlands
9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
Prinses Margrietplantsoen 33, 2595AM 
’s-Gravenhage, The Netherlands

Country of incorporation

Direct or indirect

Address of registered office

Company name

Tullow Zambia BV

Tullow Oil (Bream) Norge AS
Tullow Oil Norge AS
Energy Africa Bredasdorp Pty Ltd

Netherlands

Norway
Norway
South Africa

Tullow South Africa (Pty) Limited

South Africa

T.U. S.A.

Notes:

1.  1 per cent held directly by Tullow Oil plc.

2.  50 per cent held directly by Tullow Oil plc.

Uruguay

Indirect
Indirect
Indirect

Indirect

Indirect
Indirect

9 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, 
London, W4 5XT, United Kingdom
Tordenskioldsgate 6B, 0160 Oslo, Norway
Tordenskioldsgate 6B, 0160 Oslo, Norway
12th floor, Convention Tower, Heerengracht Street, 
Foreshore, Cape Town 8001, South Africa
12th floor, Convention Tower, Heerengracht Street, 
Foreshore, Cape Town 8001, South Africa
Colonia 810, Of. 403, Montevideo, Uruguay

www.tullowoil.com

183

GLOSSARY

£m 

AGM 
AFS 
APP 
ASOC 

bbl 
bcf 
BDT 
boe 
boepd 
bopd 

¢ 
Capex 
CISP 
CMS 
CMS III 
CNOOC 
CSA 
CSO 
CtO 

D&O 
DD&A 
DoA 
DSBP 

E&A 
E&P 
EBITDA 
EBITDAX
EHS 
EITI 
EOPS
EPS 
EuroStoxx 
ESIA
ESOS 
EWT 

Pound sterling million

Annual General Meeting
Available for sale
African partner pool
Advanced security operations centre

Barrel
Billion cubic feet
Business Delivery Team
Barrels of oil equivalent
Barrels of oil equivalent per day
Barrels of oil per day

Cent
Capital expenditure
Cyber Information Sharing Partnership
Caister Murdoch System
A group development of five satellite fields linked to CMS
China National Offshore Oil Corporation
Control self-assessment
Civil Society Organisations
Case to operate

Development and operations
Depreciation, depletion and amortisation
Delegation of authority
Deferred Share Bonus Plan

Exploration and Appraisal
Exploration and production
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation and exploration
Environment, health and safety
Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
Early Oil Pilot Scheme
Earnings per share
A European market index
Environmental Social Impact Assessment
Executive Share Option Scheme
Extended well test

184

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

FEED 
FID 
FFD 
FPSO 
FRC 
FRS 
FTSE 250 
FVTPL 

G&A
G&H 
GHG 
GJFFD 
GNPC 

HIPO 
HMRC 

IAS 

IASB 
IFC 
IFRS 
IIA 
IMF 
IMS 
IOC 
IR 
ITLOS 

JDA
JV

km 
KPI 

LIBOR 
LTI 
LTIF 

mmbo 
mmboe 
mmscfd 
MoU 
MTM 
MVC 
MVCF 

Front end engineering and design
Final Investment Decision
Full field development
Floating production storage and offloading vessel
Financial Reporting Council
Financial Reporting Standard
Equity index consisting of the 101st to 350th largest UK listed companies by market capitalisation
Fair value through profit or loss

General and administrative 
Gifts and hospitality
Greenhouse gas
Greater Jubilee Full Field Development
Ghana National Petroleum Corporation group company and its subsidiary undertakings

High-potential incident
HM Revenue & Customs

International Accounting Standard

International Accounting Standards Board
International Finance Corporation
International Financial Reporting Standards
Invest in Africa
International Monetary Fund
Integrated Management System
International oil company
Investor relations
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea

Joint Development Agreement
Joint Venture

Kilometres
Key performance indicator

London Interbank Offered Rate
Lost time injury
Frequency rate measured in LTIs per million hours worked

Million barrels of oil
Million barrels of oil equivalent
Million standard cubic feet per day
Memorandum of Understanding
Mark-to-market
Motor vehicle collision
Motor vehicle collision frequency

www.tullowoil.com

185

GLOSSARY CONTINUED

NGO 

OPEC
Opex 
OSE 

p 
PAYE 
PEP 
PoD 
PP&E 
PRT 
PSA 
PSC 
PSP 

S&P 500
SC 
SCT 
SEENT 
SID 
SIP 
SOGA 
SOP 
Sq km 
SRI 
SSEA 

TEN 
TIP 
TGSS 
TRP
TSR 
TRI 

Non-governmental organisation

Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries
Operating expenses
Organisation, strategy and effectiveness

Pence
Pay As You Earn
Politically exposed persons
Plan of development
Property, plant and equipment
Petroleum revenue tax
Production Sharing Agreement
Production Sharing Contract
Performance Share Plan

Standard & Poor’s 500, US stock market index based on market capitalisation
Supply chain
Supplementary corporation tax
South East Etame North Tchibala
Senior Independent Director
Share Incentive Plan
Skills for oil and gas in Africa
Share Option Plan
Square kilometres
Socially responsible investment
Safety, sustainability and external affairs

Tweneboa – Enyenra – Ntomme
Tullow Incentive Plan
Tullow Group Scholarship Scheme
Turret Remediation Project
Total Shareholder Return
Total recordable injuries

UK GAAP 

UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice

VAT 
VP 
VPSHR 

WAEP 
WACC 
WHO 
Wildcat 

Value added tax
Vice President
Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights

Weighted average exercise price
Weighted Average of Cost of Capital
World Health Organization
Exploratory well drilled in land not known to be an oil field

186

Tullow Oil plc 2018 Annual Report and Accounts

STAY UP TO DATE  
WWW.TULLOWOIL.COM

Our main corporate website has key information about our business,  
operations, investors, media, sustainability, careers and suppliers.

RESULTS, REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS
Financial results, corporate annual reports, webcasts and 
fact books are all stored in the Investor Relations section 
of our website: www.tullowoil.com/reports

E-COMMUNICATIONS
All documents on the website are available to view without 
any particular software requirement other than the software 
which is available on the Group’s website. 

For every shareholder who signs up for electronic 
communications, a donation is made to the eTree initiative 
run by Woodland Trust. You can register for email 
communication at: www.etree.com/tullowoilplc

COMPANY SECRETARY AND REGISTERED OFFICE
Adam Holland 
Tullow Oil plc  
9 Chiswick Park  
566 Chiswick High Road  
London  
W4 5XT  
United Kingdom 

Tel: +44 20 3249 9000 

Fax: +44 20 3249 8801 

To contact any of Tullow’s principal subsidiary 
undertakings, please find address details on  
www.tullowoil.com/contacts  
or send ‘in care of’ to Tullow’s registered address.

This report is printed on mixed source 
paper which is FSC® certified (the 
standards for well-managed forests, 
considering environmental, social and 
economic issues.

Printed by Pureprint Group

Tullow Oil plc  
9 Chiswick Park  
566 Chiswick High Road  
London W4 5XT  
United Kingdom 

Tel: +44 20 3249 9000 

Fax: +44 20 3249 8801 

Email: info@tullowoil.com

Website: www.tullowoil.com