As of the date of this Proxy Statement, our Board has 11 directors. Our bye-laws provide that the Board shall consist of not less than five directors and not more than 15 directors, and the number of directors may be changed only by resolution adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of the entire Board. No decrease in the number of directors may shorten the term of any incumbent director.

       On January 18, 2017, our former financial sponsors (consisting of funds affiliated with Warburg Pincus LLC and The Blackstone Group) completed an offering and sale of our

common shares that resulted in them no longer controlling a majority of the voting power of our outstanding common shares (the "January Offering"). On March 8, 2017, pursuant to the terms of our bye-laws, our Board was divided into three classes of directors as a result of this event. Directors are now elected by shareholders for terms of three years and hold office until their successors are elected and qualified. One of the three classes is elected each year to succeed the directors whose terms are expiring.

       The Board recognizes that one of its key responsibilities is to evaluate and determine its optimal leadership structure so as to provide independent oversight of management. The Board understands that the optimal Board leadership structure may vary as circumstances warrant. Consistent with this understanding, non-management directors consider the Board's leadership structure on an annual basis.

       The Board has determined that the optimal Board leadership structure for us is served by the role of Chairman of the Board being held by our

Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Inglis, because it believes that having one leader serving as both the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer provides decisive, consistent and effective leadership.

       The Board does not currently have a standing presiding director, though it may designate a director as the presiding director to lead the meetings of the independent directors, if it deems appropriate, in accordance with the principles set out in our Corporate Governance Guidelines.

       As of March 29, 2017, our Board has an Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, Health, Safety and Environmental Committee, External Affairs and Political Risk Committee and Exploration Assurance Committee, and may have such other committees as the Board shall determine from time to time.

       As a result of the January Offering, we no longer qualify as a "controlled company" for purposes of certain exemptions from NYSE corporate governance standards. Pursuant to the phase-in periods stipulated by the NYSE rules, we are required to have at least one independent director on each of our Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees as of the date we ceased to qualify as a controlled company, a majority of

independent directors on those committees by April 18, 2017, which is 90 days after the date we ceased to qualify as a controlled company, and fully independent Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees by January 18, 2018, which is one year after the date we ceased to qualify as a controlled company. We are also now required to perform an annual performance evaluation of our Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees (although we have historically been voluntarily conducting such an evaluation for the Compensation Committee). As of the date hereof, we are in compliance with these additional requirements.

       As of March 29, 2017, each of the standing Committees of the Board had the composition and responsibilities described below.

       The Board held five meetings during 2016 and did not take any actions by unanimous written consent. During 2016, no incumbent director (other than Mr. Landy) attended fewer than 75% of the aggregate total number of meetings of the Board held during the period in

which he was a director and of the total number of meetings held by all of the Committees of the Board on which he served. We expect, but do not require, our directors to attend our annual general meetings of shareholders.

(1)

Effective as of March 2, 2016, Mr. Darricarrère was appointed to serve on the Audit Committee and Mr. Ogunlesi ceased serving on the Audit Committee.

(2)

Effective as of March 2, 2016, Messrs. Krieger, Darricarrère and Foley were appointed to serve on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (with Mr. Krieger serving as committee chair) and Messrs. Inglis, Landy, Melwani and Ogunlesi ceased serving on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

(3)

Effective as of March 2, 2016, Mr. Inglis ceased serving on the Health, Safety and Environment Committee.

(4)

Effective as of March 2, 2016, Mr. Darricarrère was appointed to serve on the External Affairs and Political Risk Committee and Mr. Maxted ceased serving on the External Affairs and Political Risk Committee.

(5)

Effective as of March 2, 2016, Messrs. Inglis and Maxted ceased serving on the Exploration Assurance Committee.

       As a result of the January Offering, we no longer qualify as a "controlled company" for purposes of certain exemptions from the NYSE corporate governance standards, including director independence. Pursuant to the phase-in periods stipulated by the NYSE rules, we are required to have a majority independent Board by January 18, 2018, which is one year after the date we ceased to qualify as a controlled company.

       The Board has reviewed the materiality of any relationship that each of our directors has with us, either directly or indirectly. Based on

this review, the Board has determined that Dr. Wright, Sir Richard Dearlove and Messrs. Darricarrère, Foley, Krieger, Landy, Melwani, Ogunlesi and Tong are "independent directors" as defined by the NYSE rules and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act. Accordingly, as of the date hereof, we are in compliance with the NYSE's majority independent Board requirement.

       There are no family relationships among any of our executive officers, directors or nominees for director.

       Assessing and managing risk is the responsibility of the management of the Company. However, the Board has an active role, as a whole, and also at the committee level, in overseeing management of the Company's risks. The Board regularly reviews information regarding the Company's credit, liquidity and operations, as well as the risks associated with each.

       Under its charter, the Audit Committee of the Board of the Company reviews and discusses with management the Company's major financial risk exposures and the steps management has taken to monitor and control such exposures, including the Company's risk assessment and risk management policies. In addition, the Audit Committee oversees risks related to the Company's financial statements, the financial reporting process, accounting, tax and legal matters as well as liquidity risks and guidelines and policies and procedures for monitoring and mitigating risks.

       Because overseeing risk is an ongoing process and inherent in our strategic decisions, the Board also discusses risk throughout the year in relation to specific proposed actions. The Board's other standing Committees oversee risks associated with their respective areas of responsibility. For example, the Compensation Committee considers the risks associated with our compensation policies and practices with respect to both executive compensation and compensation generally. See "Executive Compensation—Compensation Risk Assessment" below. The Board is kept abreast of its Committees' risk oversight and other activities through reports of the Committee chairmen to the full Board.

       Specifically relating to enterprise risk management during 2016, the Company performed an enterprise risk assessment to identify key risks and assess procedures for managing, monitoring and mitigating risks.

       The nominees for election to the Board at the annual general meeting were formally nominated by the Nominating and Corporate

Governance Committee and such nominations were approved by the full Board. Although the Board will consider nominees recommended by

shareholders, the Board has not established any specific procedures for shareholders to follow to recommend potential director nominees for consideration. At this time, the Board has not established any specific written procedures for identifying and evaluating potential director nominees or any minimum qualifications or skills for directors, although we generally consider a nominee's diversity, experience, industry knowledge and background. To ensure we have a diverse group of potential director nominees for

consideration, our nominee search includes candidates from both corporate positions beyond the executive suite and from non-corporate environments (e.g., government, academia and non-profit organizations), and includes both male and female candidates. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has adopted a resolution to consider gender diversity as one of the factors in identifying qualified candidates for membership on the Board.

       The current members of our Compensation Committee are Messrs. Landy, Melwani and Ogunlesi. Mr. Melwani is the Chairman of the Committee. No member of the Compensation Committee has been at any time an employee or an officer of ours. None of our executive officers serves as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving as a member of our Board or Compensation Committee.

Messrs. Landy and Melwani have directed that the fees they are entitled to receive as compensation for serving on our Board be paid or remitted to our former financial sponsors. See "Certain Relationships and Related Transactions" and "Director Compensation—2016 Director Compensation" below.

       The Board has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to our employees, directors and officers, in accordance with applicable U.S. federal securities laws and the corporate governance rules of the NYSE. Any waiver of this Code may be made only by the Board. In accordance with applicable U.S. federal securities laws and the corporate governance rules of the NYSE, we will provide any person, without charge and upon request, with a copy of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. Requests should be directed to us at Kosmos Energy Ltd., c/o Kosmos Energy LLC, 8176 Park Lane, Suite 500, Dallas, Texas 75231, Attention: Corporate Secretary. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is also available

under the Corporate Governance link on the Investors' page of our website at www.kosmosenergy.com. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement. We will disclose any amendments to or waivers of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics on our website at www.kosmosenergy.com. Our Audit Committee has established procedures to receive, retain and treat complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters, and to allow for the confidential, anonymous submission by our employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.

       The Board has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines in accordance with the corporate governance rules of the NYSE. In accordance with the corporate governance rules of the NYSE, we will provide any person, without charge and upon request, with a copy of our Corporate Governance

Guidelines. Requests should be directed to us at Kosmos Energy Ltd., c/o Kosmos Energy LLC, 8176 Park Lane, Dallas, Texas 75231, Attention: Corporate Secretary. The Corporate Governance Guidelines are also available under the Corporate Governance link on the Investors' page of our

website at www.kosmosenergy.com. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement. We will disclose

any amendments to the Corporate Governance Guidelines on our website at www.kosmosenergy.com.

       In 2011, we entered into a shareholders agreement with affiliates of our former financial sponsors pursuant to which our former financial sponsors, collectively, have the right to currently designate six members of our Board. Each former financial sponsor has the right to designate: (i) up to three directors (or 25% of the Board, rounded to the nearest whole number) if it owns 20% or more of the issued and outstanding common shares eligible to vote at an annual general meeting of shareholders and 50% or more of the common shares owned by such former financial sponsor immediately prior to the consummation of the IPO; and (ii) one director (or 12.5% of the Board, rounded to the nearest whole number) if it owns 7.5% or more of the issued and outstanding

common shares eligible to vote at an annual general meeting of shareholders. Following the January Offering, after our former financial sponsors no longer constituted a group beneficially owning more than 50% of the Company's voting power, each former financial sponsor entitled to designate a director has the right to nominate one of its director designees to each of the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. A former financial sponsor will cease to have the right to designate committee members in the event that the former financial sponsor holds less than 7.5% of the issued and outstanding common shares eligible to vote at an annual general meeting of shareholders.

       Shareholders and other interested parties may communicate directly with our Board by sending a written communication in an envelope addressed to: Board of Directors, c/o Corporate Secretary, Kosmos Energy Ltd., c/o Kosmos Energy LLC, 8176 Park Lane, Suite 500, Dallas, Texas 75231. These communications will be promptly forwarded by the Corporate Secretary to the Board.

       Shareholders and other interested parties may communicate directly with our independent directors by sending a written communication in an envelope addressed to: Board of Directors (Independent Members), c/o Corporate Secretary, Kosmos Energy Ltd., c/o Kosmos Energy LLC, 8176 Park Lane, Suite 500, Dallas, Texas 75231. These communications will be promptly forwarded by the Corporate Secretary to the independent directors.

       Our Audit Committee has established a process for communicating complaints regarding

accounting or auditing matters. To submit a complaint, you may send a written communication in an envelope addressed to: Audit Committee, c/o Corporate Secretary, Kosmos Energy Ltd., c/o Kosmos Energy LLC, 8176 Park Lane, Suite 500, Dallas, Texas 75231.

       Any such complaints received or submitted will be promptly forwarded by the Corporate Secretary to the Chairman of the Audit Committee, to take such action as may be appropriate.

       Shareholders and other interested parties may communicate directly with our Chairman of the Board by sending a written communication in an envelope addressed to: Chairman of the Board of Directors, c/o Corporate Secretary, Kosmos Energy Ltd., c/o Kosmos Energy LLC, 8176 Park Lane, Suite 500, Dallas, Texas 75231. These communications will be promptly forwarded by the Corporate Secretary to the Chairman of the Board.

       The following is a description of the transactions we have engaged in since January 1, 2016 with our directors and officers and beneficial owners of more than five percent of our voting securities and their affiliates.

       Messrs. Foley, Krieger, Landy and Melwani have directed that the fees they are entitled to receive as compensation for serving on our Board be paid or remitted to our former financial sponsors. See "Board of Directors, Board Meetings and Committees—Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation" above and "Director Compensation—2016 Director Compensation" below.

Procedures for Review of Transactions with Related Persons

       We have adopted a set of written related-party transaction policies designed to minimize potential conflicts of interest arising from any dealings we may have with our affiliates and to provide appropriate procedures for the

disclosure, approval and resolution of any real or potential conflicts of interest which may exist from time to time. Such policies provide, among other things, that all related-party transactions, including any loans between us, our former financial sponsors and our affiliates, but excluding compensation arrangements, require approval by our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, after considering all relevant facts and circumstances, including, without limitation, the commercial reasonableness of the terms, the benefit and perceived benefit, or lack thereof, to us, opportunity costs of alternative transactions, the materiality and character of the related party's direct or indirect interest, and the actual or apparent conflict of interest of the related party, and after determining that the transaction is in, or not inconsistent with, our and our shareholders' best interests. There have been no related-party transactions since the adoption of related-party transaction policies where such policies were not followed.

       Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires our directors, officers and persons who beneficially own more than 10% of our common shares to file initial reports of ownership on Form 3 and reports of changes of ownership on Forms 4 and 5 with the SEC. These officers, directors and 10% beneficial owners are also required to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms that they file. Specific due dates for these reports have been established by regulation, and we are required to report in this Proxy Statement any failure to file by these dates during 2016.

       To our knowledge, based solely on our review of the copies of such forms received by us, we believe that all Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to our officers, directors and 10% beneficial owners have been complied with for 2016, with the exception of the following Forms 4 filed late: (i) one Form 4 relating to one transaction for each of Messrs. Doughty, Haas and Garrett and (ii) one Form 4 relating to one transaction for each of our executive officers (other than Mr. Anderson).

       The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our common shares, on a fully-diluted basis, as of March 1, 2017, for:

•

each of our named executive officers;



•

each of our directors;



•

each of our director nominees;



•

all of our executive officers and directors as a group; and



•

each shareholder known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our issued and outstanding common shares.

       Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and

includes voting or investment power with respect to the securities. Percentage of ownership is based on 387,641,134 common shares issued and outstanding on March 1, 2017. The information in the table below concerning security ownership of beneficial owners is based on filings made by such persons with the SEC.

       Except as indicated in the footnotes to this table, we believe that the shareholders named in this table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all common shares shown to be beneficially owned by them, based on information provided to us by such shareholders. Unless otherwise indicated, the address for each director and executive officer listed is: c/o Kosmos Energy LLC, 8176 Park Lane, Suite 500, Dallas, Texas 75231.

*

Less than one percent.

(1)

Includes (i) 22,564 restricted share units held by Mr. Inglis that are scheduled to vest within 60 days of March 1, 2017 (on April 1, 2017) and (ii) 41,500 restricted shares held by Mr. Inglis.

(2)

Includes 34,375 restricted shares held by Mr. Chambers. Excludes restricted share units held by Mr. Chambers.

(3)

Includes (i) 29,833 restricted shares held by Mr. Maxted, (ii) 6,729,864 common shares held by Maxted Family Investments, Ltd., an entity of which Mr. Maxted is a beneficial owner, (iii) 474,625 shares held by Maxted Holdings, LLC, an entity of which Mr. Maxted is a beneficial owner and (iv) 1,175,397 shares held by Mr. Maxted's spouse. Excludes restricted share units held by Mr. Maxted.

(4)

Includes 21,457 restricted shares held by Mr. Ball. Excludes restricted share units held by Mr. Ball.

(5)

Includes 14,789 restricted share units held by Michael J. Anderson that are scheduled to vest within 60 days of March 1, 2017 (on April 1, 2017).

(6)

Excludes restricted share units held by Mr. Darricarrère.

(7)

Excludes restricted share units held by Sir Richard Dearlove.

(8)

Excludes restricted share units held by Mr. Ogunlesi.

(9)

Includes 1,000 common shares held by Mr. Tong's spouse. Excludes restricted share units held by Mr. Tong.

(10)

Excludes restricted share units held by Dr. Wright.

(11)

Includes restricted shares held by four of our executive officers who are not our named executive officers, as follows: (i) 24,111 restricted shares held by Marvin M. Garrett; (ii) 16,375 restricted shares held by Paul M. Nobel; (iii) 17,346 restricted shares held by Eric J. Haas and (iv) 34,707 restricted shares held by Mr. Doughty. Excludes restricted share units held by our other executive officers who are not our named executive officers.

(12)

The Blackstone Funds (as hereinafter defined) are comprised of the following entities: Blackstone Capital Partners (Cayman) IV L.P. ("BCP Cayman IV"), Blackstone Capital Partners (Cayman) IV-A L.P. ("BCP Cayman IV-A"), Blackstone Family Investment Partnership (Cayman) IV-A L.P. ("BFIP"), Blackstone Family Investment Partnership (Cayman) IV-A SMD L.P. ("BFIP SMD") and Blackstone Participation Partnership (Cayman) IV L.P. ("BPP", together with BCP Cayman IV, BCP Cayman IV-A, BFIP and BFIP SMD, the "Blackstone Funds"). The Blackstone Funds beneficially own (i) 77,781,209 shares, which are held by BCP Cayman IV, (ii) 1,268,459 shares, which are held by BCP Cayman IV-A, (iii) 2,060,103 shares, which are held by BFIP, (iv) 1,710,492 shares, which are held by BFIP SMD and (v) 232,249 shares, which are held by BPP. The general partner of BFIP SMD is Blackstone Family GP L.L.C., which is wholly owned by Blackstone's senior managing directors and controlled by Mr. Stephen A. Schwarzman, its founder. The general partner of BCP Cayman IV and BCP Cayman IV-A is Blackstone Management Associates (Cayman) IV L.P. ("BMA"). BCP IV GP L.L.C ("BCP IV") is the general partner of BMA, BFIP and BPP. Blackstone Holdings III L.P. is the sole member of BCP IV. The general partner of Blackstone Holdings III L.P. is Blackstone Holdings III GP L.P. The general partner of Blackstone Holdings III GP L.P. is Blackstone Holdings III GP Management L.L.C. The sole member of Blackstone Holdings III GP Management L.L.C. is The Blackstone Group L.P. The general partner of The Blackstone Group L.P. is Blackstone Group Management L.L.C. Blackstone Group Management L.L.C. is wholly owned by Blackstone's senior managing directors and controlled by its founder, Stephen A. Schwarzman. Each of such Blackstone entities and Mr. Schwarzman may be deemed to beneficially own the shares beneficially owned by the Blackstone Funds directly or indirectly controlled by it or him, but each disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares. Mr. Foley and Mr. Melwani are Senior Managing Directors of Blackstone Group Management L.L.C. and neither is deemed to beneficially own the shares beneficially owned by the Blackstone Funds. The address of each of the Blackstone Funds, Mr. Stephen A. Schwarzman and each of the other Blackstone entities listed in this footnote is c/o The Blackstone Group, L.P., 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154.

(13)

The Warburg Pincus Funds are comprised of the following entities: Warburg Pincus International Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership ("WPIP"), and two affiliated partnerships who collectively hold 48,649,042 shares, and Warburg Pincus Private Equity VIII, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership ("WP VIII"), and two affiliated partnerships who collectively hold 49,185,985 shares. The total number of shares reported by WPIP does not include 2,030,177 shares that are owned by its affiliated partnership Warburg Pincus Netherlands International Partners C.V. I, a company incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands, and 75,112 shares that are owned by its affiliated partnership WP-WPIP Investors, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership. WPIP expressly disclaims beneficial ownership with respect to any common shares other than the common shares owned of record by WPIP. The total number of shares reported by WP VIII does not include 1,426,152 shares that are owned by its affiliated partnership Warburg Pincus Netherlands Private Equity VIII, C.V. I, a company incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands, and 142,183 shares that are owned by its affiliated partnership WP-WPVIII Investors, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership. WP VIII expressly disclaims beneficial ownership with respect to any shares other than the shares owned of record by WP VIII. Warburg Pincus Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership ("WP Partners LP"), is the

general partner of WPIP and WP VIII. Warburg Pincus Partners GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company ("WP Partners GP"), is the general partner of WP Partners LP. Warburg Pincus & Co., a New York general partnership ("WP"), is the managing member of WP Partners GP. WPIP and WP VIII are managed by Warburg Pincus, LLC, a New York limited liability company ("WP LLC"). Mr. Landy and Mr. Krieger are Directors of Kosmos. Mr. Landy is a Managing General Partner of WP and a Managing Member and Co-Chief Executive Officer of WP LLC. Mr. Krieger is a Partner of WP and a Managing Director and Member of WP LLC. All shares indicated as owned by Messrs. Landy and Krieger are included because of their affiliation with the Warburg Pincus Funds. Charles R. Kaye is also a Managing General Partner of WP and a Managing Member and Co-Chief Executive Officer of WP LLC and, together with Mr. Landy, may be deemed to control the Warburg Pincus Funds. Messrs. Kaye, Landy and Krieger disclaim beneficial ownership of all shares held by the Warburg Pincus Funds. The address of the Warburg Pincus Funds, Mr. Kaye and each of the other Warburg Pincus entities listed in this footnote is 450 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10017.

(14)

Based on a Schedule 13G/A filed on February 9, 2017, Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management, LLC ("HWCM") exercises sole voting power over 22,667,053 shares and sole dispositive power over 30,431,505 shares. According to the Schedule 13G/A, certain of HWCM's clients have retained voting power over the common shares that they beneficially own. Accordingly, HWCM has the power to dispose of more common shares than it can vote. The address for HWCM is 725 S. Figueroa Street 39th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90017.

(15)

Based on a Schedule 13G filed on February 10, 2017, SailingStone Capital Partners LLC ("SailingStone") exercises sole voting power and sole dispositive power over 28,362,063 shares. The address for SailingStone is One California Street, 30th Floor, San Francisco, California 94111.

(16)

Based on a Schedule 13G filed on February 13, 2017, Capital Research Global Investors ("CRGI") exercises sole voting power and sole dispositive power over 23,874,568 shares. The address for CRGI is 333 South Hope Street, Los Angeles, California 90071.

       Our executive compensation program is designed to attract, motivate and retain highly experienced individuals who are critical to successfully delivering on our business plan. In 2016, consistent with our historical practice, we continued to emphasize performance-based compensation by awarding a majority of the compensation for our executives in the form of annual cash bonuses and long-term equity incentive awards, both of which are designed to tie our executives' pay directly to Company performance.

       The incentive compensation that we granted to our named executive officers for 2016 was weighted more toward annual rather than long-term incentives relative to prior years. This departure from our historical practice resulted from the different circumstances existing at the times at which the Committee granted the long-term incentive awards (early 2016) versus the annual bonuses (early 2017). Given the widespread commodity price volatility in early 2016, and to avoid undue dilution to our shareholders, the Committee took a disciplined approach to long-term incentives in 2016 and granted our named executive officers annual equity awards having a grant date value that was significantly lower than in recent years.

       The annual bonuses that the Committee granted in January 2017 to our named executive

officers for 2016 were higher than in recent years, which reflected the significant performance successes achieved for the year, including consummating a transaction with BP p.l.c. ("BP") that represented a transformational accomplishment for Kosmos.

       Despite this departure from prior years' practice, we believe that our compensation program for 2016 effectively incentivized our executives to lead the Company to achieve the significant exploration and operating successes we experienced this year. We are strategically well-positioned among our competitors (notwithstanding the volatility in worldwide oil prices that continued during 2016) in large part due to our strong balance sheet, our unique portfolio of exploration prospects, production and development assets and the significant experience and expertise of our executive management team.

       Going forward, we expect to return to our historical practice of delivering a more significant portion of our executive's overall incentive compensation in the form of long-term equity incentive awards, which we believe are a critical tenet of our pay-for-performance philosophy and align our executives' interests with those of our shareholders.

       In 2016, our shareholders saw an increase of approximately 31% in the value of our shares, which we attribute in large part to our operational achievements, disciplined investment

strategy and focus on providing significant long-term value opportunities. Despite this increased share value and our exploration, safety and operational successes over the past year, we

remain focused on translating this value into our share price over the long term.

       In our effort to increase long-term value for our shareholders, we intend to continue our business strategy which focuses on achieving four key objectives: (1) maximize the value of our Ghana assets; (2) develop our discovered resources offshore Mauritania and Senegal; (3) continue to explore, appraise and develop the deepwater basin offshore Mauritania and Senegal with our partners to further grow value;

and (4) increase value further through a high-impact exploration program designed to unlock new petroleum systems. We are committed to strengthening our performance-driven, team-based culture and attracting and retaining top talent that is intensely focused on optimizing shareholder value. We believe that our compensation philosophy and approach will continue to retain and motivate our executives to position us for future growth and success in both the short and long term.

       We believe our executive compensation program provides effective incentives to our named executive officers to lead the Company to achieve industry-leading strategic and operational performance and to position the Company for future growth and success in spite of the challenging current external environment.

       With the help of its external compensation consultant, Meridian Compensation Partners, LLC ("Meridian"), our Compensation Committee carefully considered the relevant external and internal economic and business factors affecting named executive officer pay for 2016.

       Recognizing the evolution of the Company and taking into account the current state of the oil and gas industry, as well as the competitive market for talented executives, our Compensation Committee took a measured approach to our executive compensation program in 2016, focusing on supporting the Company's strategic objectives and further aligning our named executive officer's long-term interests with those of our shareholders, as described below.

•

attract, retain and motivate talented and experienced executives in the highly competitive oil and gas industry;



•

reward individual and corporate performance;



•

align the interests of our executives and shareholders by providing a substantial portion of the executives'

compensation in the form of long-term equity-based awards granted under our Long Term Incentive Plan ("LTIP"); and

•

motivate our executives to manage our business to meet our long-term objectives, create and increase shareholder value and reward the executives when shareholder value increases.

       Our Compensation Committee is responsible for the approval, evaluation and oversight of our executive officer compensation and equity incentive compensation plans, policies

and programs. Compensation Committee members discuss compensation matters with each other outside regularly scheduled meetings. The Compensation Committee may delegate its

authority to subcommittees or the Chairman of the Compensation Committee when it deems it appropriate and in the best interests of the Company. The Compensation Committee may also delegate to one or more officers of the Company the authority to make equity grants to employees other than our executive officers under the LTIP. As Chairman of the Compensation Committee, Mr. Melwani reports to the full Board regarding compensation matters.

       The Compensation Committee meets outside the presence of our Chief Executive Officer and our other named executive officers to consider the appropriate compensation for our Chief Executive Officer. The Compensation Committee analyzes the performance of our Chief Executive Officer and determines his base

salary, any annual cash bonus and any grant of equity-based awards. For all other named executive officers, the Compensation Committee meets outside the presence of the named executive officers, except our Chief Executive Officer. Our Chief Executive Officer reviews the performance of each named executive officer (other than himself) with the Compensation Committee and makes recommendations to the Compensation Committee on the appropriate base salary, any annual bonus and any grant of equity-based awards. Our Chief Executive Officer has no role in the decision-making process for determining his compensation. For more on the Compensation Committee's responsibilities, see "Board of Directors, Board Meetings and Committees—Committees of the Board of Directors—Compensation Committee" above.

       Since our IPO, the Compensation Committee has engaged Meridian to provide independent advice on executive compensation trends and issues, compensation practices within the oil and gas industry, and the design and structure of our executive compensation programs. Meridian has also provided similar information and input regarding outside director compensation.

       Meridian reports directly and exclusively to the Compensation Committee, and at the Compensation Committee's direction Meridian works with management to review or prepare materials for the Compensation Committee's consideration. Meridian did not provide any other services to the Company or our management in 2016. Meridian participated in several conversations with the Compensation Committee and Committee Chairman in 2016 and early 2017 and developed materials for the Compensation Committee's consideration at meetings.

       Meridian provided current information on industry compensation trends and practices and their application to Kosmos for the Company and the Compensation Committee to consider regarding compensation levels and incentive compensation design. Meridian updated the Compensation Committee on recent executive compensation trends in the oil and gas exploration and production industry as context for the Compensation Committee's annual compensation review.

       For 2016, Meridian provided the Compensation Committee with information necessary for an evaluation of its independence in accordance with Section 10C-1 of the Exchange Act to determine whether a potential conflict of interest might arise in connection with advising the Compensation Committee. After reviewing the information provided, the Compensation Committee concluded that the advice provided by Meridian is independent and no conflicts or potential conflicts of interest exist.

       The Compensation Committee occasionally uses industry peer compensation data as a reference for pay levels and practices and considers such data relevant to, but not determinative of, its consideration of overall executive compensation matters.

       In 2016, Meridian referenced compensation data collected in its proprietary industry survey of 44 North American exploration and production companies, and policies and practices researched across the industry in general. For a list of the surveyed companies, see Annex A to this proxy statement.

       The Compensation Committee has noted that surveyed industry companies vary in size and scope, operate in different geological basins and generally have less focus on deepwater exploration than does Kosmos. In general, Kosmos competes with these companies for talent, and the Committee believes that they are currently appropriate for executive compensation comparison. When considering executive compensation decisions, the Committee takes into consideration the differences and similarities between Kosmos and any data from the surveyed companies.

       At our 2016 annual general meeting of shareholders, approximately 95% of votes were cast, on an advisory basis, in favor of our named executive officer compensation. As such, the Compensation Committee believes that our shareholders are largely satisfied with our existing named executive officer compensation program. Based on this result and our ongoing review of our compensation policies and decisions, we believe that our existing compensation program effectively aligns the interests of our named executive officers with shareholder interests and our long-term goals.

       Nevertheless, we continually consider ways to modify our executive compensation program to strengthen this alignment of interests. As discussed above, in early 2017, the

Compensation Committee approved a "clawback" recoupment policy and robust share ownership requirements for executive officers and directors.

       Our shareholders will have an opportunity again this year to vote, on an advisory basis, on our named executive officer compensation. The Compensation Committee will carefully consider the results of this year's shareholder vote, along with all shareholder views on our compensation programs that are communicated to us, when making future compensation decisions for our named executive officers. In addition, at our 2018 annual general meeting, our shareholders will have the opportunity to vote on an advisory basis on the frequency of the advisory vote on our named executive officer compensation.

       Our equity compensation program is designed to align our executives' interests with those of our shareholders by motivating our executives to contribute significantly to our success and to create long-term shareholder value. We believe that a performance-driven,

team-based culture is crucial to our future success. Therefore, we grant equity awards to all of our U.S.-based employees to align their interests with those of our shareholders and to expose them to the same upside and downside risks as our shareholders.

       We have historically granted equity awards under our LTIP in the form of service-vesting restricted shares or units (which we refer to as "service awards") and performance-vesting restricted shares or units (which we refer to as "performance awards"). We believe that these equity awards incentivize our employees to work toward our continued success, and motivate their retention with the Company. The awards align the interests of our employees with those of our shareholders, as the ultimate value received depends on the share price on the vesting date and, in the case of the performance awards, the level of attainment of the specified relative TSR goal. In addition, while grants of service awards do not have explicit performance-vesting conditions, due to the nature of our industry and the high-risk environment in which we operate, the ultimate value realized from service awards depends significantly on our future operating performance.

       We typically grant equity awards as part of our annual and new hire equity grant process. Since 2015, we have granted annual equity awards in January, which was a departure from our historical practice prior to 2015 of granting annual equity awards in June of each year. We expect to continue to grant annual equity awards each January, which is consistent with prevailing industry practice and is intended to enable our Compensation Committee to make comprehensive compensation decisions for our executives after the end of each year (contemporaneous with decisions regarding the payment of annual bonuses and any base salary adjustments).

       All of the outstanding equity awards held by our named executive officers are subject to our compensation clawback policy (discussed in more detail in "—Recoupment Policy" below).

       In 2016, we granted annual equity awards to our named executive officers, 50% in the form of service awards and 50% in the form of performance awards. In light of the continued impact of the volatility in worldwide oil and gas prices on our share price, and in recognition of the dilutive impact of equity incentive awards at low share prices on our shareholders, management recommended that the 2016 annual equity awards be granted with respect to the same number of shares as the 2015 annual equity awards. Our Compensation Committee accepted this recommendation, and based on a closing price of $3.72 on January 22, 2016, the 2016 annual equity awards granted to our named executive officers had a grant date value of less than half that of the 2015 annual equity awards.

       The annual service awards granted to our named executive officers in 2016 vest one-third each year over three years based on continued service. Vesting of the performance awards

granted in 2016 requires attainment of both a service and a performance condition. The service condition is attained one-third each year over three years, and the performance condition is attained after three years based on a specified relative TSR performance goal. The attainment of the performance condition will be determined on the last day of the three-year performance period (as specified below) based on our TSR as compared to the TSR of a specified group of industry "performance peer" companies (listed below). TSR will be calculated as the percentage by which the average closing price of a share of Kosmos or a share of a peer company on each of the 30 trading days ending on the last day of the performance period is more or less than the average closing price of the share on each of the 30 trading days ending on the first day of the performance period, plus the amount of any dividends or distributions that are declared during the performance period.

*

On February 15, 2016, BG Group plc was acquired by Royal Dutch Shell plc.

       To receive any payout under the service and performance awards, our named executive officers and other employees generally must remain employed with us through the vesting date and, in the case of performance awards, the TSR performance condition must be satisfied. However, the awards are subject to accelerated vesting under specified circumstances (see "2016 Compensation—Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control" below).

       Historically, the service and performance awards granted to our executives generally

provided for accelerated vesting on the first anniversary of a "change in control" of Kosmos (if earlier than the regularly scheduled vesting date). However, commencing with the service and performance awards granted in 2015 to our executives (other than Mr. Inglis), the vesting of the service and performance awards will only accelerate in connection with a change in control if a qualifying termination of employment occurs on or within one year after the change in control. We believe this practice further aligns our equity compensation program with the interests of our shareholders.

       Annual cash bonuses approved by the Compensation Committee for our named executive officers for 2016 were based on Company and individual performance. In early 2016, the Board of Directors, in consultation with our Chief Executive Officer, established stretch "key performance indicators" (which we refer to as "KPIs") for 2016 that are derived from our strategic and business growth plan and demonstrate year-over-year improvement. The Board of Directors also approved the bonus opportunities for our named executive officers. The bonus range for each named executive officer was 0% - 200% of his target bonus opportunity.

       The base bonus pool for each performance year (which we refer to as the "Base Bonus Pool") is determined with reference to the aggregate target bonus of all bonus eligible employees. The actual bonus pool available for bonus payments with respect to all employees of the Company for the applicable performance year (which we refer to as the "Actual Bonus Pool") ranges between 80% - 120% of the Base

Bonus Pool, as determined by our Compensation Committee based on its quantitative and qualitative assessment of the level of achievement of the KPIs and overall Company financial and operating performance. Actual individual bonus amounts payable to our named executive officers were then determined based on the Compensation Committee's review and assessment of the individual performance (taking into account our Chief Executive Officer's assessment of individual performance of each executive, other than himself). The actual aggregate amount of cash bonuses paid to all of our employees, including our named executive officers, for any performance year cannot exceed the Actual Bonus Pool approved by our Compensation Committee for such year.

       In December 2016 and January 2017, the Compensation Committee reviewed a comprehensive report prepared by management summarizing the Company's performance against the pre-established 2016 KPIs and the Company's strategic, financial, exploration, development and production performance.