CAIRN Energy chief executive Simon Thomson has said the oil and gas firm has started the year in a strong position with significant growth opportunities.

Mr Thomson noted that Edinburgh-based Cairn Energy produced an average 17,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day from the Catcher and Kraken fields in the North Sea last year.

The company expects to start production from the Nova field in the Norwegian North Sea in 2021, with first oil from the giant SNE find off Senegal targeted for 2022.

It plans to drill exploration wells in Europe, Africa and the Americas.