Rahul will take up his appointment effective July 1, 2020 and Madam Dorothy Thompson, currently Executive Chair of Tullow, will return to her position as Non-Executive Chair after a limited period of handover.

A statement issued by the Tullow Group said Mr Dhir brings extensive leadership experience in oil and gas to Tullow.

He is currently CEO of Delonex Energy, an Africa-focused oil and gas company that, he founded in 2013.

It said under his leadership, Delonex has delivered low-cost drilling and seismic operations along with leading social and environmental performance in sub-Saharan Africa.

“In Chad, the company has achieved material exploration success and discovered substantial oil resources. Delonex has also delivered exploration campaigns in Ethiopia and Kenya, where Delonex operates Block 12A with Tullow as a non-operating partner,” it added.

Prior to establishing Delonex, Mr Dhir served as Managing Director and CEO of Cairn India from its IPO in 2006 until 2012.

The statement said during Dhir’s tenure, Cairn India delivered operated production of over 200,000 barrels of oil per day with operating costs of less than $5 per barrel of oil.

“Cairn India also successfully delivered over $5 billion of development projects, including; the world’s longest heated pipeline at a finding and development cost of less than $5 per barrel of oil,” it said.

Mr Dhir started his career as a Petroleum Engineer, before moving into investment banking, where, he led teams at Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch, advising major oil and gas companies on merger and acquisition and capital market related issues.

Mr Dhir was educated at the Indian Institute of Technology (BTech), the University of Texas (MSc) and the Wharton School (MBA).

Madam Thompson said “I am delighted to welcome Mr Dhir to Tullow and l am very pleased that, he has accepted the position of CEO. His oil and gas, financial and African experience combined with his record of strong leadership made him the stand-out candidate for the Board. I look forward to Mr Dhir joining Tullow in July and working with him closely in the coming years.”

Mr Dhir also said “I am excited at the opportunity to lead Tullow and re-establish it as an iconic company in our industry. The company has high-quality assets and great people.”

He said the Company also had a unique position in Africa, built on a proven track record of responsible operations, strong relationships and a commitment to sustainability.

I am looking forward to working with the team and the Board to re-build an exceptional business.”