Tullow Oil's five executive directors shared £458,044 in salaries last year, up from £310,672 in 1996. They also benefited from performance-related payments of £127,737, having received no such payment a year earlier.

Pension contributions for the five directors, who included managing director Mr Aidan Heavey, came to £83,954, a 29 per cent increase on 1996, while their taxable benefits totalled £31,270, a rise of 14 per cent.