UK Stocks-Factors to watch on March 30

March 30 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening down 5 points on Thursday, according to financial bookmakers.

* GENEL ENERGY: Genel Energy GENL.L is set to lose its finance chief while still struggling to find a replacement for Chairman Tony Hayward, sources told Reuters, increasing pressure on the company after a second revision to its Kurdish oil reserves sent its shares sliding this week. BHP BILLITON: Chile's Escondida named a new president to run a mine operated by BHP Billiton BLT.L on Thursday, days after the company failed to clinch a wage deal with workers after an historically long strike. JOHNSTON PRESS: Top Johnston Press JPR.L shareholder Crystal Amber has opened talks with the newspaper publisher's lenders about a debt-for-equity swap, The Telegraph reported on Wednesday. BREXIT: The British government will set out plans on Thursday to convert European Union laws into domestic legislation to give "businesses, workers and consumers the certainty they need" as Britain exits the bloc. Oil prices dipped on Thursday, ending two days of increases as record U.S. crude inventories outweighed a fall in gasoline stocks and disruptions in Libyan supplies. EX-DIVS: British Land Company BLND.L , Old Mutual OML.L , Prudential PRU.L , Schroders SDR.L and Smith & Nephew SN.L will trade without entitlement to their latest dividend pay-out on Thursday, trimming 4.79 points off the FTSE 100 according to Reuters calculations The UK blue chip FTSE 100 .FTSE index ended up 0.4 percent at 7,373.72 points on Wednesday, after a choppy session following Britain's formal triggering of its departure from the European Union. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on: cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?pageId=livemarkets