14 January 2016                                                                                                                                                        

Bowleven plc ("Bowleven" or "the Company")

Directors' Interests

Grant of 2016 LTIP Awards

In accordance with the Company's remuneration policy, the Remuneration Committee resolved on 13 January to grant the following awards over ordinary shares in the Company ("Shares") to each of the undernoted Directors under the terms of the Company's new Long Term Incentive Plan (the "2015 LTIP") which was approved by shareholders at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 16 December 2015.ⁱ

Pursuant to the rules of the 2015 LTIP, awards may only be made to Directors at certain prescribed times, including within 42 days of the date of adoption of the plan.  This period commenced on 16 December 2015.

The above awards ordinarily vest on or around the third anniversary of the date of grant but only to the extent that certain performance conditions are satisfied by the Company during that period.  Consistent with previous awards made under Bowleven's 2006 Long Term Incentive Plan, these performance conditions are determined by the total shareholder return ("TSR") generated by the Company over the relevant three year performance period compared to a selected group of 14 comparator companies chosen by the Remuneration Committee.  Awards under the 2015 LTIP only vest where Bowleven's TSR over the relevant performance period is at least the median of the comparator group.  20% of an award vests where Bowleven's TSR is the median (i.e. 8^th position); 40% where Bowleven's TSR is in 7^th position; 60% where Bowleven's TSR is in 6^th position; 80% where Bowleven's TSR is in 5^th position; and 100% where Bowleven's TSR is in the upper quartile (i.e. 4^th position or above).  In addition, no awards vest unless the Remuneration Committee in its absolute discretion is also satisfied that there has been an overall satisfactory and sustained improvement in the performance of the Company during the relevant performance period.

The 2016 LTIP awards referred to above were based on a share price of 20 pence per Share, being the Company's closing share price on 12 January 2016. 

No consideration was payable by the Directors for the grant of the above awards. 

Sale of Shares subsequent to the vesting of 2012 LTIP Awards (settlement of tax liabilities due January 2016)

Following the vesting of the 2012 LTIP Awards announced on 23 December 2015, instructions were given by each of the undernoted Directors to only sell such Shares as was necessary to account for the tax and national insurance liabilities payable in January 2016 on the vesting of these awards with the remaining Shares being retained.  The number of Shares sold on behalf of the Directors is set out in the table below.  These sales were made on 13 January 2016 at a sale price of 20 pence per Share.

Current interests in Shares

Following the above sales, the beneficial interest of each undernoted Director in the ordinary shares in the Company is as set out in the table below.

ENQUIRIES

For further information please contact:

Bowleven plc

Kevin Hart, Chief Executive                                                                00 44 131 524 5678

Kerry Crawford, Finance Director

Brunswick Group LLP

Patrick Handley                                                                                   00 44 207 404 5959

Simon Maine                                                                       

Macquarie Capital (Europe) Limited (Nomad)                                             

Jon Fitzpatrick                                                                                      00 44 203 037 2000

Ken Fleming

Nick Stamp